University of Galway invites people to help shape healthcare through Citizen Science

University of Galway is inviting the public to contribute to an initiative aimed at exploring important health-related questions and helping shape the future of health research.

In celebration of Citizen Science Month, The People’s Review project allows individuals to become citizen scientists, suggesting important health questions, working alongside researchers, and contributing to a systematic review.

Systematic reviews gathers all available research on a topic to provide a clear and accurate understanding of what does and does not work in health treatments. These reviews combine findings from multiple studies to ensure healthcare decisions are based on trustworthy evidence and are used by healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and the public to make informed health choices.

Éle Quinn, The People’s Review Project lead from the University’s School of Health Sciences, said: “We are so excited to open up the world of health research to the wider public with The People’s Review. We are living in a time where it is harder than ever to know what health information we can trust. That is where systematic reviews come in — they help cut through the noise by bringing together all the available evidence about health treatments. The People’s Review invites everyone to get involved in the process, opening the doors to research in a way that is accessible, inclusive, and even a little bit fun. It is a unique opportunity for the public to have their say, enjoy science, and contribute to a real-life systematic review.”

The People’s Review is being led by a diverse team within Evidence Synthesis Ireland in University of Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. The team also includes an international steering group hailing from Brazil to Bangladesh and the UK to Canada with various expertise including public partners, experts in systematic reviews, and health communicators.

Dr Sinéad Hynes from the School of Health Sciences said: “The power of systematic reviews is extraordinary. Especially in a world where we are bombarded with information 24/7. Finding reliable sources to help make choices, especially health choices, is more difficult than ever. People from around the world can suggest a health question that they want to find the answer to. The public will then vote on the people’s favourite question that we will answer through a systematic review.”

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