Evidence Synthesis Ireland (ESI), an initiative coordinated by NUI Galway, invited six public and/or patient representatives to join its governance structures in March 2020. It has also created opportunities for public and/or patient representatives to review research applications and documents, as well as join committees to set agendas for conferences and trainings. The aim of ESI is to build evidence synthesis knowledge, awareness and capacity among the public, health care institutions and policymakers, clinicians and researchers on the Island of Ireland, and the role of its public and/or patient representatives is to ensure that a public and patient perspective is reflected.
The public and/or patient representatives were selected from NUI Galway’s professional network and from nominations made by patient organisations. The representatives are provided with a description of their role and terms of reference, where appropriate.