Gotcha! Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Event 1 (Nov 2023)

The UCL Neurotherapeutics group hosted the first Gotcha! study Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) event on the 11th of November. Gotcha! is a randomised clinical trial testing the efficacy of a practice-based app designed to help people with dementia be able to name people that they know well. Most of the 16 patients who have completed the study attended, alongside their carers. Also present were seven research staff and members from the Research & Development departments of three NHS trusts. The purpose of the event was to bring Gotcha! study participants, their carers and members of the patient identification centres who contributed to the study up-to-date on our preliminary findings.  

After tea and coffee, Prof Alex Leff (the principal investigator) and Dr Catherine Doogan (clinical psychologist & Senior Research Associate) presented the background to the Gotcha! project and shared preliminary findings from the qualitative date (why patients and carers get involved in research studies like Gotcha! and what they hope to achieve), as well as how well the therapy is working and some preliminary data on Pre- versus Post- magnetoencephalography (MEG) data, which demonstatesdemonstrates where the therapy effects seems to be occurring in participant’s brain networks. They also answered questions from the attendees and discussed the feasibility of digital neurointervention in people with dementia. Dr Catherine Doogan also talked about the co-designing phase of Gotcha! app and mentioned the importance of patient involvement in the proposed structure and content of the Gotcha! app which helped to shape it in a way that met the needs of the potential users. 

Afterwards, participants got to know each other during the refreshment break and shared their experiences of participating in the Gotcha! study. The neurotherapeutics group members answered the questions of members from the research and development departments of different NHS hospitals and discussed the importance of the PPI events for the quality and effectiveness of the research study.  

At the end of the event, a feedback form was distributed to all participants. The Gotcha! study PPI event ended with thank you speech from the group members and closing remarks by Prof Leff.