Navigating Dynamic Power Relations in Patient Involvement: Researchers' Perspectives From University Research.
Background: Addressing power issues in research involvement is needed for advancing equitable relationships between patients and researchers. While previous studies acknowledge power challenges in patient involvement, few approach power as a dynamic phenomenon in which multiple and shifting power re...
| Publicado en: | Health Expectations Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Wiley-Blackwell
Feb2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=191835433&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 191835433 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 13696513 EVY jtl: Health Expectations issn: 13696513 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Feb2026 vid: 29 iid: 1 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell place: Malden, Massachusetts artinfo: ui: 191835433 191835433 191835433 10.1111/hex.70600 191835433 ppf: 1 ppct: 9 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Navigating Dynamic Power Relations in Patient Involvement: Researchers' Perspectives From University Research. aug: au: Aromaa, Eeva Eriksson, Päivi Montonen, Tero Hirvonen, Pasi affil: Business School, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland sug: subj: Research Personnel Psychosocial Factors Researcher-Subject Relations Power Patient Participation Research Subject Recruitment Human Finland Funding Source Qualitative Studies Purposive Sample Biological Science Disciplines Social Sciences Clinical Research Thematic Analysis Interviews Adult Middle Age Male Female Descriptive Statistics Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Male Female ab: Background: Addressing power issues in research involvement is needed for advancing equitable relationships between patients and researchers. While previous studies acknowledge power challenges in patient involvement, few approach power as a dynamic phenomenon in which multiple and shifting power relations coexist. Objective: To examine how researchers navigate three power relations identified in patient involvement research – power with, power to, and power over – and associated tensions. Methods: Sixteen purposively sampled life science, social science and clinical researchers from two Finnish universities participated in thematic interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically. Results: Researchers navigated power relations through three tensions in patient involvement: (1) tokenism versus co‐creation, (2) institutional structures versus everyday complexities, and (3) conflict versus reflexivity. In tokenism versus co‐creation, gatekeeping (power over) and openness to patient ideas (power to) co‐existed, but also evolved towards co‐researchership (power with). In institutional versus everyday complexities, mediated representation replaced direct involvement, reinforcing hierarchies; funders' recommendations encouraged collaboration but could also consolidate power over through procedural control. In conflict versus reflexivity, power over was evident in patients' rejection of assigned roles and interactional and relational challenges within involvement practices that reproduced hierarchical dynamics. Conclusions: The study contributes to the discussion of power challenges in patient involvement by illustrating how researchers simultaneously enact, reproduce and resist multiple power relations. A dynamic view of power clarifies researchers' roles in shaping patients' involvement in research. Patient or Public Contribution: The first author is a trained Expert by Experience patient‐researcher with extensive involvement in researcher–patient collaboration across health care and health research contexts. She has participated in all study phases and had a major role in data collection and analysis. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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