Assessing unstated assumptions of patient and public involvement in palliative care with story completion and typology analysis

Summary

This qualitative study probes the often unspoken assumptions that shape patient and public involvement (PPI) in palliative care. Using a story completion method, participants were given the opening of a scenario and asked to write how it unfolds, surfacing implicit beliefs that direct questioning might not reveal. Narratives were contributed by six consumers, seven health professionals, and two palliative care researchers, and were examined through typology analysis to map recurring patterns of thinking. The analysis exposed underlying assumptions about how much lived-experience contributions are valued and how they translate into policy, practice, and quality improvement. By making these tacit assumptions visible, the study identifies barriers and enablers to genuinely inclusive consumer involvement in palliative care.