Join us behind the scenes for reflections, best practices and impact stories from author teams, Geographic Groups, and others involving patients and the public in Cochrane activities. First up, we meet Dr. Angelika Eisele-Metzger (supported by Claudia Breuer) from Cochrane Germany.

Please share who you are, which Cochrane Geographic Group you’re representing, and the typical activities your group undertakes.

I am a researcher and employee of Cochrane Germany. Our group's activities include disseminating evidence-based health information and promoting evidence-based healthcare. We focus on making Cochrane content accessible to German-speaking audiences and building networks with healthcare professionals and the public.

How do you currently involve patients and the public in your Cochrane-related activities? What impact do you think involving patients and the public has had on your group’s work?

We involve patients and the public mainly through our Cochrane Deutschland Unterstützer*innen (“Cochrane Germany Supporters”) group, which currently consists of 13 people including patients, family members, patient advisors, scientists and healthcare professionals. One of the main activities in this context is regular exchange with this group and gathering their feedback on our work and services. In doing so, we want to ensure that these meet the needs of our target groups. For example, we have received highly valuable feedback from the group on our website, our Cochrane Germany newsletter, and our blog. Additionally, we also have co-created content, e.g. we have interviewed two patient advisors for our blog and created Instagram posts together.  

The group’s feedback has a real impact on our work. For example, based on their suggestions, we have improved various aspects of our website and also launched an Instagram account in 2022, which we use very actively today and which has since become central to our communication.

How did you find patient and public contributors in your region? How do you maintain relationships with these contributors over time?

We started recruiting people to form our Cochrane Deutschland Unterstützer*innen group in 2021, using a call on our website, social media posts, newsletters (e.g. there was also a call in this newsletter) and additionally contacting patient organizations in Germany. We then had a phone call with persons who sounded suitable based on their personal and professional backgrounds where we clarified the expectations of both sides. And then we got started...  

We maintain relationships through regular online meetings held twice yearly where the group and 2-3 staff members from Cochrane Germany participate, and through ongoing collaborative activities like providing feedback and participating in projects.

What challenges have you encountered in involving patients and the public, and how have you addressed them?

First, there are practical issues, such as: Can we find a date for our meeting that suits everyone? Since many members of the group are very committed and involved in many topics, this is always challenging. And next, many people have lots of good ideas, but unfortunately, we cannot always implement or address all of them. To give one example: there have been repeated suggestions that it would be nice to have a Cochrane Germany podcast, but we have not been able to put this into practice so far due to limited resources.

What is one key learning or piece of advice you would offer others who are starting to involve patients and the public in their Cochrane work?

I personally have often been surprised by how many interesting things you learn when you listen to people outside Cochrane. We often have such inspiring exchanges with this group – in my opinion, it's definitely worth it and I can only recommend giving it a try.

What is one burning question you would like to ask the next Geographic Group we interview?

I would be most interested in learning how other geographical groups work with patients and the public and what they have learned from their experiences.

If you're interested in joining or supporting Cochrane Germany, you can contact them.

If you're located in a different region and would like to get involved with your local Cochrane Geographic Group, you can find more information here.