Setting research priorities with under-served communities

This project is focused on ensuring the research we conduct addresses the needs and priorities of people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

People from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to receive joint replacements. Once they have a joint replaced, these patients are likely to experience more pain and disability, have higher rates of complication and are more likely to die than white patients.

This project aims to address these inequalities and ensure that traditionally underserved people are involved in all stages of the research process, including setting the research agenda. To identify orthopaedic research priorities, we will work with local community groups serving members from ethnic minority backgrounds in Bristol. We will also reach out to other community groups, who are likely to have members with experience of musculoskeletal conditions.

Based on our work with these communities and their leaders, we will tailor our approach to guarantee use of the most culturally appropriate and inclusive methods and processes. This will ensure that community members are able to participate meaningfully in research priority setting.

We will focus on allowing people the time and space to feel comfortable when discussing their experiences and needs in relation to orthopaedics. This will help them define priority areas for future research.

Our overall aim is to co-produce a list of prioritised research questions for orthopaedic research to reflect the needs and voices of people from ethnic minority backgrounds. We will use these priorities to inform our work within the surgical and orthopaedic innovation theme. We will focus on developing accessible and inclusive co-interventions to address unmet needs, optimise patient care and improve outcomes.