Abstract
Addressing health inequalities is a really important focus for nursing research. Since the beginnings of the profession, which we are celebrating in 2020, nursing has supported and advocated for marginalised communities. It is just as important that we channel our research expertise into unravelling the complex challenges faced by those who find it hard to access services. This study is a good example of exactly that. Hepatitis C virus is such an important issue to better understand. It is now curable with a much more acceptable treatment regime than in the past, but those affected rarely have long term or consistent relationships with health care professionals.
This study seeks to understand these issues by entering into creative dialogue with those affected. Working in partnership with people whose lives may be chaotic can be a challenge, but it is only in listening deeply to the perspectives of others that we can begin to consider realistic ways to tackle seemingly intractable problems. Co-production is one approach and in this paper, the authors have tried to incorporate the creative and fluid nature of co-production within a robust research design. This work is clear about its person-centred approach by valuing the views of people who inject drugs and recognising their wisdom in designing services that make a difference.
There are power dynamics and complexities thrown up by working in this way and the authors are open about these and discuss the dilemmas and how they were addressed. Whether we are working under a banner of practice development, quality improvement or research, these are live issues and this paper builds the evidence base in this important area and takes the discussion forward.