If you have experience as a patient caregiver, or community member with significant experience with a health condition, your perspectives could help ensure that health research is designed to address the problems that you deal with every day.

The University of Kentucky’s new Participant Engagement for Equitable Research (PEER) Program will build a network of patients, caregivers, and community members called PEER Experts who can guide research efforts by sharing their experiences with health conditions. After a short orientation process, Experts will meet with researchers in facilitated conversations called PEER Studios, which are either in-person or virtual.

We are now inviting people who are interested in serving as a PEER Expert to complete a brief interest form at ccts.uky.edu/PEER.

What’s the goal of the PEER Program?

Involving patients, caregivers and community members in the research process is crucial to guiding research efforts that are responsive to the needs of people with various health conditions and experiences within healthcare systems.

What are the benefits of being a PEER Expert?

While serving as an Expert, you could learn more about health research related to your condition or experiences, talk to people leading the studies, and possibly shape the focus of research. Participants might also get to connect with other patients and caregivers with similar experiences. While serving as a PEER Expert, you should not expect to receive medical advice.

PEER Experts will receive an honorarium (financial compensation) for each orientation and studio session they attend, and mileage will be reimbursed.

What’s expected of PEER Experts?

• Attend an orientation session (either virtual or at UK)
• Attend a PEER Studio if invited (either virtual or at UK)

Who can apply to be a PEER Expert?

Ideal qualities include:

• Willingness to share opinions and aspects of their personal experiences
• Curiosity about health research and new ways to address health/healthcare problems
• Commitment to confidentiality

The PEER Program is led by the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science, whose mission is to accelerate discoveries that improve health.

— The University of Kentucky Public Relations & Strategic Communications Office provides a weekly health column available for use and reprint by news media. This week’s column is by Gia Mudd-Martin, PhD, MPH, RN, professor in the UK College of Nursing and director of the community engagement and research core of the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science