Combining PPI with qualitative research to engage ‘harder-to-reach’ populations : service user groups as co-applicants on a platform study for a trial

Acknowledgements We would like to thank all members of the research team, especially our co-applicant collaborators: Mastrick Café Crèche, Aberdeen and Wendy Ratcliffe (Health Visitor); and St Cuthbert’s and Palatine Children’s Centre, Blackpool and Helen Cook (Manager). Extra and special thanks to Donna McPhee, Mastrick Café Crèche, who read and provided invaluable feedback on the final draft of this paper and with whom we continue to work to disseminate the findings of our collaboration and research. We would also like to thank our grant co-applicants: Professor Linda Bauld, Professor David Tappin, Professor Anne Ludbrook, Dr Shelley Farrar, Professor Falko Sniehotta, Graeme MacLennan and Professor Marion Campbell for their collaboration and input into the study design. Additional thanks to colleagues at the University of Aberdeen: Dr Sharon McCann, for helpful discussions around service user involvement in research, Kieran Rothnie and Fiona Stewart for their contributions to team discussions about service user involvement, Fiona Stewart and Cynthia Fraser for providing guidance with literature searching and reference management; and Lara Kemp for providing secretarial support. Source of Funding This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme (10/31/02) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment: Morgan H, Hoddinott P, Thomson G, Crossland N, Farrar S, Yi D, et al. Benefits of Incentives for Breastfeeding and Smoking cessation in pregnancy (BIBS): a mixed-methods study to inform trial design. Health Technol Assess 2015;19(30). See here: http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/projects/hta/103102Peer reviewedPublisher PD