Researchers in the area of health and social care (both in Australia and internationally) are encouraged to involve consumers throughout the research process, often on ethical, political and methodological grounds, or simply as ‘good practice’. This article presents findings from a qualitative study in the UK of researchers’ experiences and views of consumer involvement in health research. Two main themes are presented. First, we explore the ‘know—do gap’ which relates to the tensions between researchers’ perceptions of the potential benefits of, and their actual practices in relation to, consumer involvement. Second, we focus on one of the reasons for this ‘know—do gap’, namely epistemological dissonance. Findings are linked to issues around consumerism in research, lay/professional knowledges, the (re)production of professional and consumer identities and the maintenance of boundaries between consumers and researchers.

Loneliness is considered a global public health issue because of its detrimental impact on physical and mental health but little is known about which interventions can reduce loneliness. One potential intervention is social prescribing, where a link worker helps service‐users to access appropriate support such as community activities and social groups. Some qualitative studies have identified that social prescribing may help to reduce service‐users’ loneliness. Given this, the British Red Cross (a third sector organisation) developed and delivered a national social prescribing service in the United Kingdom to support people who were experiencing, or at risk of, loneliness. Service‐users could receive up to 12 weeks of support from a link worker. A mixed methods study was conducted to understand the impact of the support on loneliness, and to identify the facilitators and barriers to service delivery. The study included: (a) analysis of quantitative data collected routinely between May 2017 and December 2019 (n = 10,643) including pre‐post analysis of UCLA data (n = 2,250) and matched comparator work to measure changes in loneliness; (b) semi‐structured interviews with service‐users, link workers and volunteers (n = 60) and (c) a Social Return on Investment Analysis. The majority of the service‐users (72.6%, n = 1634/2250) felt less lonely after receiving support. The mean change in UCLA score was −1.84 (95% CI −1.91 to −1.77) of a maximum change of 6.00 (decrease indicates an improvement). Additional benefits included improved wellbeing, increased confidence and life having more purpose. The base case analysis estimated a social return on investment of £3.42 per £1 invested in the service. Having skilled link workers and support tailored to individual needs appeared key. However, challenges included utilising volunteers, meeting some service‐users’ needs in relation to signposting and sustaining improvements in loneliness. Nonetheless, the service appeared successful in supporting service‐users experiencing loneliness.

An enduring theme in the literature exploring patient and public involvement (PPI) in research has been the focus on evaluating impact, defined usually in terms of participants’ practical contribution to enhancing research processes. By contrast, there has been less emphasis on the perspectives and experiences of those involved in PPI. Drawing on qualitative data with people involved in the National Cancer Research Network in the United Kingdom, we report on what motivated participants to get involved and their experiences of involvement in this setting. We highlight how those involved in PPI often espoused the notion of the “good citizen,” with PPI in research being a natural extension of their wider civic interests. However, our findings also highlight how PPI was an important resource, utilized by participants to make sense of living with chronic illness. We suggest that PPI in research also offers spaces for the reconfiguration of self and identity.

Aims: Synthesize a review of reviews of the family's role in supporting adherence to diabetes self‐care management practices (DSMP) for adults with type 2 diabetes (DM2).Design: An umbrella review.Data sources: Scopus, Web of Science including MEDLINE, CINAHL via EBSCO, PubMed and Science Direct were searched for systematic reviews from their year of establishment until June 2021.Review methods: The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for umbrella reviews. The JBI data extraction form for systematic reviews and research syntheses was used for data extraction. Methodological quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic reviews and Research Syntheses.Results: Nineteen reviews met the inclusion criteria. The key findings were summarized using a narrative and thematic analysis methods. Four main themes were identified: family interactions and diabetes self‐management, family support as informal social support, factors affecting families’ roles, and tailoring culturally sensitive family‐based interventions.Conclusion: There appears to be a consensus regarding the impact of family on adults' self‐management of DM2. Additional research is needed to comprehend the role of the family in underrepresented populations and examine what constitutes a family and the diverse family functions in different groups.Impact: Enhancing adherence to self‐care management practices is crucial for the well‐being of adults with DM2. Family support is a key to successful self‐care management at home. However, understanding the unique needs of adults with DM2 and their families can help healthcare professionals plan appropriate support strategies and sustainable family‐based interventions.No Patient or public contribution: This review did not incorporate direct patients or public input as it summarizes evidence from previously published systematic reviews.

Loneliness is a global public health concern linked to a range of negative health outcomes (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018. The Lancet. 391(10119), 426). Internationally, this has led to the development of a number of interventions, but these are rarely implemented or evaluated on a large scale. This paper is one of the first of its kind to describe elements of an evaluation of a large‐scale national social prescribing scheme to reduce loneliness, deploying individual link workers to signpost people to community activities. Reporting on findings from interviews with staff (n = 25 of which 6 were repeat interviews) and volunteers (n = 9) between October 2017 and December 2018 in localities across the United Kingdom. We reflect on the complexities of the link worker role, the challenges of service delivery and the importance of community infrastructure. There was evidence that highly skilled link workers who had developed positive relationships with providers and service‐users were key to the success of the intervention. As well as providing an effective liaison and signposting function, successful link workers tailored the national programme to local need to proactively address specific gaps in existing service provision. For social prescribing services to be successful and sustainable, commissioners must consider additional funding of community infrastructure.