Kinsella Elaine L, Kavanagh Elaine
Department of Psychology, Centre for Social Issues Research, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland.
Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Ireland.
Womens Health (Lond). 2025 Jan-Dec;21:17455057251351415. doi: 10.1177/17455057251351415. Epub 2025 Jul 18.
In the aftermath of high-profile healthcare system failures, patient representative groups can emerge as key contributors to support, reform, and accountability. Following the identification of failures in Ireland's CervicalCheck screening programme in 2018, the 221+ Patient Representative Group (commonly known as 221+) was established to support affected women and families.
The present research aimed to assess the impact of the 221+ group and associated patient representatives in supporting women and influencing the delivery of healthcare.
An independent research team conducted a two-phase qualitative study, gathering perspectives from a range of stakeholders involved in statutory, non-statutory, and voluntary healthcare sectors in Ireland.
Interview data collected from key stakeholders (phase 1, = 15) and qualitative survey responses from medical and healthcare professionals (phase 2, = 86) were analysed separately using reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings support the value of a patient-representative model in providing support and advocacy for women affected by cervical cancer and their families, while also highlighting important considerations such as sustainability, integration with healthcare systems, and the need for inclusive representation.
This study provides a case example of patient advocacy in action, offering transferable insights and strategies to inform patient-centred care and healthcare reform in other settings.
在备受瞩目的医疗系统故障事件之后，患者代表团体可能成为支持、改革和问责的关键贡献者。2018年爱尔兰宫颈癌筛查计划出现故障后，成立了221+患者代表团体（通常称为221+），以支持受影响的妇女和家庭。
本研究旨在评估221+团体及相关患者代表在支持女性和影响医疗服务提供方面的影响。
一个独立的研究团队进行了一项两阶段的定性研究，收集了爱尔兰法定、非法定和志愿医疗部门一系列利益相关者的观点。
分别使用反思性主题分析法对从关键利益相关者收集的访谈数据（第一阶段，n = 15）和医疗及医护专业人员的定性调查回复（第二阶段，n = 86）进行分析。
研究结果支持患者代表模式在为受宫颈癌影响的女性及其家庭提供支持和宣传方面的价值，同时也突出了可持续性、与医疗系统整合以及包容性代表等重要考虑因素。
本研究提供了一个患者维权行动的案例，提供了可借鉴的见解和策略，为其他环境下以患者为中心的护理和医疗改革提供参考。
