“Help us build statistical tools that can change the world”. That is the call from team from the NIHR Leicester BRC in their new animation which aims to help us all understand the impact our feedback can have.
Professor Laura Gray co-lead of the NIHR Leicester BRC’s Data Innovation for Multiple Long Term Health Conditions theme, and her team, developed the animation alongside public contributors to explain what statistical methodology is, and why public involvement is so important.
Professor Gray said: “We really wanted to find a way that easily explained what statistical methodologists do, and why statistics are so vital to health and social care research.
“Most people might think it’s something that we’d leave to scientists and experts to talk about amongst themselves, but in reality, statistical methodologists need the public to help us build and select tools that are appropriate to the research we’re doing.
“That’s because their lived experiences, and knowledge of their health condition means that they can tell statisticians what’s most important to look at and where they need to collect data.”
The team will now be sharing the incredible animation online through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Youtube channel and other platforms, in the hope that it will encourage more people to be part of research, and help shape the future.
The animation was developed alongside the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands, and the Centre for Ethnic Health Research.