The ELOPE-GDM study is currently recruiting women to join a patient and public involvement (PPI) group.

What is the ELOPE-GDM study?

ELOPE-GDM is a qualitative study exploring the lived experience of women with gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Having gestational diabetes can increase a woman’s chance of going on to develop type 2 diabetes in later life.

The study is investigating what motivates women to make lifestyle changes to manage gestational diabetes and prevent it progressing to type 2 diabetes. Exploring social, cultural, and economic factors which influence women’s experiences of gestational diabetes and how these factors may affect decisions about prevention and treatment. The study aims to improve our understanding of how women feel and respond to receiving a gestational diabetes diagnosis.

What is patient and public involvement?

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is vital as your input helps to shape the research conducted, including how it is done and how the findings are understood. You can find out more about what PPI is here: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/patients-carers-and-the-public/i-want-to-help-with-research/

What will the PPI group do?

The role involves joining a small team of researchers and giving your input through various stages of the project. This might include helping plan the research, suggesting ways to contact people to take part in the interviews, or helping write research reports. You will also be included in discussing the findings and sharing them with others.

The role will require up to 12 hours of your time; this includes reading documents, talking to researchers on the phone or joining online team meetings. The role will run from August 2022 to September 2023. You will be reimbursed for your time; £20 per hour for up to 12 hours involvement (up to £240).

Who can join?

Membership of the patient and public involvement (PPI) group for the gestational diabetes study is open to any woman aged 18-45 who is either currently pregnant with gestational diabetes OR who has had gestational diabetes in the last 5 years.

Applications from women from ethnic minority backgrounds are particularly encouraged as these women are disproportionately affected by gestational diabetes and under-represented in health research.

I’m interested, what should I do?

If you are interested, please email s.poduval@ucl.ac.uk