Understanding User Involvement in Research in Aging and Health

Susanne Iwarsson; Anna-Karin Edberg; Synneve Dahlin Ivanoff; Elizabeth Hanson; Håkan Jönson; Steven Schmidt

doi:10.1177/2333721419897781

Understanding User Involvement in Research in Aging and Health

Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2019 Dec 29:5:2333721419897781. doi: 10.1177/2333721419897781. eCollection 2019 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Susanne Iwarsson¹, Anna-Karin Edberg², Synneve Dahlin Ivanoff³, Elizabeth Hanson^{4

5}, Håkan Jönson¹, Steven Schmidt¹

Affiliations

¹ Lund University, Sweden.
² Kristianstad University, Sweden.
³ Gothenburg University, Sweden.
⁴ Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
⁵ Swedish Family Care Competence Centre, Kalmar, Sweden.

Abstract

User involvement in research is advocated as an avenue for efficient societal developments. In this article, we identify potentials, problems, and challenges related to research on aging and health, and identify and illustrate research priorities using an evolving research program as an example. Involving user representatives in the development phase, the UserAge program engages researchers at four universities in Sweden. The program builds upon previous and ongoing research with user involvement. The goals are to maximize the impact of user involvement, enhance the execution of high-quality research, increase the knowledge about what difference user involvement can make, and evaluate the impact of research about and with user involvement. Taken together and communicated in the international scientific community as well as in a wide range of public arenas, the empirical results, capacity-building, and modeling efforts of UserAge will have an impact not only on the present situation but also on the future.

Keywords: community; disability; frail older adults; gerontology; nursing; public and patient involvement; public health/public policy; rehabilitation; social work; volunteering.