Consumer: People who directly or indirectly make use of health services, including patients or potential patients.
Community: A group of people sharing a common interest but not necessarily a common geographic location.
Consumer and community involvement is about:
- Working together with researchers to make decisions about what research focuses on and how it is done
- Being a team and understating what is important to each other
- Being part of the research process rather than just watching or commenting
- Carrying out research that is with you instead of to or for you.
