My Comrade+

The MyComrade+, a cross border (NI/ROI) pilot cluster randomised controlled pilot trial funded under the CHITIN* partnership, examined the effect of an intervention that supports GPs and practice based pharmacists to conduct medication reviews for patients with multimorbidity in primary care. 

PPI objectives

The aim of our PPI partnership with the MyComrade+ is to ensure that the perspectives of persons living with multi morbidities are heard and reflected in the development and dissemination of the MC+ trial. 

Who is involved 

Our 4-member group is Nan (McCarron), Katie (Baxter), Morris (Dr Brown), John (McCosker), as cross border representatives, have substantial experience of life, have direct or indirect contact, exposure, or experience to living with multiple long-term health conditions and prescribed multiple medications.

Progress to date and impact   

Our first official PPI group meeting, on the 18^th of March 2020 amidst the first COVID lockdown, was convened on zoom as with all our subsequent meetings. This means of communication proved to be very successful and allowed us together to accomplish a great deal in a short period of time. For all of us, this is our first experience being involved in such a group.

To date, we have been engaged in:

1. Re-drafting the MyComrade+ letters of invite for participants, the research team adopted our suggestions into the invite letter, including changes to the wording and presentation, more clarification and adding GP contact details.
   
   Impact:
   An initial letter of invite sent out to study participants to partake in interviews resulted in no volunteers. After our revisions to the letter, each invite received a response, which greatly encouraged our participation in the group.
2. Drafting the interview questions - we gave suggestions on wording and sequencing of the questions, exclusion of questions thought irrelevant and inclusion of a question regarding COVID, which were integrated into the questions used.
   
   Impact:
   The researchers reported back to us that interview guide proved easy to follow and use.
   
3. Supporting the development of the initial coding framework for analysing the interview data - we got some training on how to anlayse data from the interviews and then got working!  
   
   Impact
   The coding framework we drafted to analyse the interview data was used as the foundation coding framework for the  interview data. 

More information

Contact Collette Kirwan (collette.kirwan@nuigalway.ie) 

*Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network (CHITIN), UK and Ireland. CHITIN is a unique partnership between the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland and the Health Research Board in Ireland who are working together to deliver 11 Healthcare Intervention Trials (HITs). CHITIN is funded by EU INTERREG VA programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body with match funding from the Departments of Health in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.