Writing & StyleStyle guide

Patient and Public Involvement Section

CONSORT 2025 added an item asking reports to describe how patients and/or the public were involved in the design, conduct, and/or reporting of the trial. Use the terminology and reporting expectations appropriate to the study, jurisdiction, funder, journal, and community; involvement is not the same as enrollment as a participant.

Quick answer

A Patient and Public Involvement section explains whether and how patients or members of the public contributed to trial design, conduct, or reporting.

Key details

Core IssueCONSORT 2025 added an item asking reports to describe how patients and/or the public were involved in the design, conduct, and/or reporting of the trial.
Registerscholarly, professional, or research/report writing

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

Use the terminology and reporting expectations appropriate to the study, jurisdiction, funder, journal, and community; involvement is not the same as enrollment as a participant.

Further guidance

Content

Describe who was involved, the stages or decisions they influenced, and the nature of their contribution; state clearly when there was no such involvement if the reporting context requires it.

Purpose

Make substantive patient/public involvement visible and distinguish it from participation as research subjects.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. CONSORT 2025 statement: updated guideline for reporting randomised trials (opens in a new tab)BMJ / CONSORT Group · Primary 2025 CONSORT reporting guideline for randomized trials, including participant flow and trial-registration information.

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