TranslateIntroduction to the James Lind Alliance and priority setting
The James Lind Alliance (JLA) is non-profit making initiative which was established in 2004 with the aim of enabling groups of patients, carers and clinicians to work together to agree priorities for health research. The JLA facilitates Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) in particular health areas.
The Physiotherapy PSP will consist of patients, carers and their representatives, clinicians, researchers, managers, educators, service planners and purchasers and policy makers. The PSP is led by a Steering Group.
The role of the PSP is to identify questions which have not been answered by research to date, and to then prioritise these. The first stage is an online survey to all stakeholders, asking for unanswered questions about physiotherapy. These questions will then be assessed to check they are in scope for the PSP and checked and verified as true uncertainties. An interim prioritisation exercise then takes place to shortlist the uncertainties, before a priority setting workshop is then convened where participants debate and finally arrive at a Top 10 list of shared unanswered questions, or uncertainties, which are most important to them.
The aim is then to turn these uncertainties into research questions and for members of the Steering Group to work with researchers and research funders to obtain funding for that research.
Only clinicians, patients and carers are involved in the prioritisation process. The role of the other stakeholders is to assist in identifying uncertainties, disseminate information about the PSP and the identified uncertainties and to be involved in approaching research funders.
All uncertainties are displayed on the JLA website.
The Physiotherapy Priority Setting Partnership
The aim of Physiotherapy PSP is to identify uncertainties about physiotherapy. This will facilitate the development of an implementable physiotherapy evidence base that ensures that physiotherapy is delivered with maximum impact on patient care and population health, by the optimum workforce at the most effective cost. The background and wider aims and responsibilities of the Physiotherapy PSP are set out in the JLA Physiotherapy PSP Protocol.
About the Steering Group
The Steering Group is responsible for overseeing and guiding the activity of the PSP. It will help develop and agree the JLA Physiotherapy PSP Protocol. Drawing on members’ expertise and networks, the Steering Group will help encourage membership to the wider PSP and oversee all stages of the prioritisation process. The Steering Group is also responsible for helping raise awareness of the final Top 10 uncertainties, including among research funders.
Membership of the Steering Group includes individuals and representatives of organisations which can reach and advocate for the key stakeholder groups as well as the JLA Adviser. Steering Group members with direct relevant experience as patients, carers or healthcare professionals are invited to participate in the priority setting exercise.
Key stakeholders
- Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) members:
- clinicians
- researchers
- educators
- managers/decision makers
- students
- Patients and carers
Role of Steering Group meetings
Steering Group members are asked to contribute their expertise and their time. Steering Group members are asked to adhere to the following principles:
- an interest in the initiative and outcomes being pursued in the project
- a broad understanding of project management issues and the approach being adopted
- commitment to working with other members respectfully and constructively
- advocacy for the project’s outcomes.
Specifically, Steering Group members will:
- attend monthly telephone conference calls.To be effective in its decision making, each meeting should be represented with at least a clinical, patient and research element
- attend face to face meetings, or if unable to attend, submit comments ahead of the meeting. Where a Steering Group member is unable to attend a meeting, decisions made at the meeting will be respected
- respond promptly with feedback on project materials by responding to emails
- share networks and contacts for membership of the PSP
- publicise the initiative to potential partners to encourage them to join the PSP. This includes advising on membership of the PSP (to ensure a wide and representative group of key stakeholders) and emailing contacts to invite them to participate
- have oversight of the collection of treatment uncertainties generated from the survey and existing literature
- oversee and lend expertise to the data management process, including agreeing the scope and process for data-checking
- have oversight of the interim priority setting stage
- verify the shortlisted questions to be taken to the final priority setting workshop
- participate in the final priority setting exercise (if job role qualifies them to represent the views of patients, carers or clinicians). This is the one-day workshop which brings patients, carers and clinicians together to debate, rank and agree a final Top 10. It is only attended by patients, carers and the healthcare professionals or support workers who actively work with them
- be involved in the development of the Top 10 physiotherapy uncertainties into research questions for funders
- work with the National Institute for Health Research Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) and other research funders to develop the priorities into research questions.
Composition of Steering Group
JLA Adviser (Chair): Katherine Cowan
- CSP Project team - at least 1 representative
- CSP Charitable Trust - at least 2 representatives
- CSP clinician - at least 1 representative
- CSP researcher - at least 1 representative
- CSP clinical researcher - at least 1 representative
- CSP educator - at least 1 representative
- CSP manager - at least 1 representative
- CSP student - at least 1 representative
- Patients and carers - at least 4 representatives
There will be at least one representative from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales It is agreed that for this Physiotherapy PSP, two patient/carer representatives and two physiotherapists will need to be present in order for Steering Group meetings to go ahead and for decisions to be made.
Declaring interests
Steering Group members are asked to declare any interests relevant to the Physiotherapy PSP. The JLA provides an example form, and the interests of each member will be listed and shared among the group. This is to encourage a culture of openness and transparency. Relevant interests may be professional, personal or related to an interest in or involvement in clinical research.
PSP Coordination
The PSP will be chaired by Katherine Cowan, Senior JLA Adviser. Angela Winchester is responsible for the coordination and administration of the PSP. This includes making arrangements for all meetings and workshops, and ensuring that:
- requests for agenda items are discussed with the group
- papers are available at least a week before meetings
- meeting notes are circulated within two weeks.
Timescales and scheduling of meetings
See estimated timetable
The Physiotherapy PSP first Steering Group meeting will be Wednesday 15 February 2017, 10.30am to 2.30pm. There will be three face-to-face meetings, in February, March and October. There will be a one hour teleconference every month when there is not a face-to-face meeting up to February 2018.
Expenses
Reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed.
Key contacts
PSP Chair: Katherine Cowan, JLA adviser: katherine@katherinecowan.net
PSP Lead: Gabrielle Rankin: ranking@csp.org.uk
PSP Co-ordinator: Angela Winchester: physiopriorities@csp.org.uk