An article examined whether an economic analysis of costs and benefits posed a threat or an opportunity for future public participation in health and social care. There was a need for innovative indicators that captured the costs and benefits of public participation, as well as appropriate resources for the economic analysis of such initiatives.
Source: Walid El Ansari and Edward Andersson, 'Beyond value? Measuring the costs and benefits of public participation', Journal of Integrated Care, Volume 19 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A study examined what happened when older people were given the opportunity to shape the commissioning and delivery of health and personal care services. It raised wider questions about the impact of their involvement – particularly whether it could change the nature of local power relations in the long term.
Source: Gerald Wistow, Eileen Waddington, and Vanessa Davey, Involving Older People in Commissioning: More power to their elbow?, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2011-Dec
A new book examined user-based service innovation, including innovation in public services.
Source: Jon Sundbo and Marja Toivonen (eds.), User-Based Innovation In Services, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Dec
A new book examined service user involvement in health and social care.
Source: Marian Barnes and Phil Cotterell (eds.), Critical Perspectives on User Involvement, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
An article examined the relationship between leadership and listening in public services management. It identified a 'listening gap' in public services, and pointed to ways in which this gap might be better understood and subsequently narrowed.
Source: Richard Simmons, ' Leadership and listening: the reception of user voice in today's public services', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 45 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Oct
An article examined the changes to patient and public involvement in the National Health Service proposed by the coalition government. The authors said that the proposals contained nothing that would guarantee a more effective engagement with either patients or the public.
Source: Anna Coleman, Kath Checkland, Imelda McDermott, and Stephen Harrison, ' Patient and public involvement in the restructured NHS', Journal of Integrated Care, Volume 19 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined the critical issues that new clinical commissioning groups would need to address in developing patient and public engagement.
Source: Patient and Public Engagement in the New Commissioning System, NHS Confederation
Links: Paper | NHS Confederation press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A report examined the existing literature on the perceived benefits of citizen participation in public services, and explored where evidence indicated that citizen involvement might be applied in the context of local regulation to improve regulatory outcomes.
Source: Paul Sanderson, The Citizen in Regulation: A report on the evidence base, Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research (University of Cambridge)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined how decision-makers in the healthcare sector involved the public in priority-setting, and how information from the public could be combined with other knowledge.
Source: Craig Mitton, Neale Smith, Stuart Peacock, Brian Evoy, and Julia Abelson, 'Integrating public input into healthcare priority-setting decisions', Evidence & Policy, Volume 7 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Aug
A new book provided a comprehensive overview of patient engagement and participation in healthcare.
Source: Angela Coulter, Engaging Patients in Healthcare, Open University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Aug
An article examined strategies for 'governing the social' that placed a premium on involving 'ordinary people' in their processes. The value of involving ordinary people was their assumed apolitical character and their capacity to bring values, knowledge, and other resources that were beyond the state. But whereas keeping politics out of governing might be a governmental ambition, ordinary people could not be relied on to perform in such ways.
Source: John Clarke, 'Enrolling ordinary people: governmental strategies and the avoidance of politics?', Citizenship Studies, Volume 14 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A new book examined more collaborative, effective, and human ways of working and making decisions, in the context of Paul Hirst's views on associative democracy. Individual chapters covered: associative democracy and the Big Society; associative democracy and local government; associational welfare; democracy in welfare provision; and user engagement in social policy and older people's care.
Source: Andrea Westall (ed.), Revisiting Associative Democracy: How to get more co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration into our economy, our democracy, our public services, and our lives, Lawrence & Wishart
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jan