Abstract Background/Aims Collaborating with patients as partners offers a means to enhance the inclusivity and patient-centredness of health research. In digital health, concerns about digital exclusion make active patient partnership even more critical. Despite this, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is rarely reported in digital health studies. The REmote MOnitoring Of Rheumatoid Arthritis (REMORA) programme, running since 2015, has been profoundly shaped by its longstanding collaboration with a dedicated PPIE group. Early work included co-designing a smartphone app for daily remote symptom tracking, and co-producing an educational video on patient self-assessment of tender and swollen joints. The PPIE group have since been instrumental in designing REMORA2, our ongoing stepped-wedge trial evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of remote symptom tracking integrated into clinical systems and pathways. Here, we report the processes and outputs of the REMORA programme’s PPIE collaborations, with a focus on inclusivity. Methods Nine people living with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited from across the UK to join the REMORA2 PPIE group, five of whom have been involved since REMORA’s inception. The group meet online quarterly, with minutes recorded and impact tracked using an established checklist. Capacity building is supported with regular training opportunities. Reimbursement is appropriately budgeted. Governance is strengthened through the appointment of two patient co-leads, ensuring an effective patient steering role and shared accountability. The PPIE inclusivity agenda was informed by the findings of a feasibility study. As REMORA2 progressed, additional activities were planned based on trial participant engagement patterns and feedback. Results Table 1 provides an overview of the REMORA programme’s PPIE activities. Conclusion The REMORA programme has championed meaningful collaboration between researchers and patient partners, resulting in an inclusive digital health study that has been responsive to participants’ needs. By regularly seeking patient partner feedback and tracking impact, we have gained valuable insights into high-quality PPIE practice in digital health research, which can inform future digital health studies. As digital interventions such as remote monitoring are increasingly explored to address healthcare challenges in rheumatology and beyond, authentic patient partnership can enhance the inclusivity and patient-centredness of both the technologies developed and the trials evaluating them. Disclosure M. Al-Attar: None. K. Staniland: None. P. Amlani-Hatcher: None. J. Paton: None. J. Behan-Devlin: None. C. Sharp: None. C. Sanders: None. W.G. Dixon: None. S.N. van der Veer: None.
Al-Attar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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