(1) Ethics work of participation in research and participatory research
Organized by Personalized Medicine, Methodology and Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases
The session started with an introduction of ‘ethics work’ by dr. Barbara Groot-Sluijsmans. Participation in research/participatory research is more than simply inviting patients for a focus group: in participatory research, participants are considered as an equal throughout the project. In participatory research, it takes a lot of effort and flexibility to make the process run smoothly and ‘ethical’.
The Framework of 'ethics work' can facilitate reflection on the work necessary for ‘ethical engagement’. It covers all psychological and bodily processes of noticing, attending, thinking, interacting, and performing actions needed during participatory action research. Seven types of ethics work were introduced: (1) emotion work, (2) relationship work, (3) framing work, (4) identity work, (5) role work, (6) reason work and (7) performance work.
Next, 3 case studies containing an ethical dilemma were presented:
- Nessa Millet – Ethical reasoning work: how do we not reduce those involved to ‘those we spoke to’?
- Kunshan Goh – co-creating healthy spaces with youth.
- Bryn Hummel – co-creation community events in various ethnic communities.
Finally, in subgroups, attendees discussed Kunshan’s and Bryn’s case studies, which values were at stake, and which ethics work was necessary to resolve the dilemma. Main findings were discussed plenary, followed by a reflection of Kunshan and Bryn.
(2)Citizen science & health: Collaboration of research and societal initiatives promoting mental health
Organized by Mental Health
In this session we were inspired by Gaston Remmers and learned more about citizen science. Gaston is director of ‘Mijn Data Onze Gezondheid’, and coordinator of ‘Zelfonderzoek Netwerk Nederland’ and Board member of the European Citizen Science Association.
We started with an interactive introduction to physically start the discussion on citizen science. Attendees walked around the room indicating their experience and knowledge on this topic. It was a very good way to get the conversation started. Gaston continued presenting about his own experience as a patient and his development in self-research and his platforms ‘Mijn Data Onze Gezondheid’ en ‘Zelfonderzoek Nederland’. Using practical examples he inspired the attendees to implement citizen science in their research. Secondly, we were enlightened by a talk of Titus Radstake, an expert by lived experience in the field of mental health. After battling his own mental health issues, he now helps others to reintegrate into work. He presented about self-management tools and implementing collective knowledge and experiences in practice.
Finally, we formed six discussion groups where we discussed the values of citizen science for health research. Attendees reflected on their own research, shared their concerns regarding citizen science, discussed how to tackle these concerns and looked for ways to implement this in their studies. It was an inspiring session that hopefully can help spark this type of research in the field of mental health research.
(3)Creating impact: Co-creation, societal impact, and policy change
Organized by Aging & Later Life and Global Health
We presented two cases: (i) From outside to inside: Staff shortages challenge care systems, not only in the Netherlands but also abroad. Researchers from Global Health are involved in “family nursing in Bangladesh hospitals”. Family members are taught to perform care activities usually done by trained staff. How to measure impact of such co-created interventions?
(ii) From inside to outside: Started as local research project over 30 years ago, meetings centers for persons with dementia and their informal caregivers have disseminated nationally and internationally. How did such a complex intervention become success full? What are the lessons learned? Founding mothers share their experiences.
(4)Boost your research impact: Harnessing social media effectively
Organized by Quality of Care
Quality of Care hosted a fun and interactive workshop at the APH Annual Meeting to help researchers amplify their impact through social media. Led by Erik Michels, Óscar Brito Fernandes, and Siham Azahaf, participants explored creative strategies to bridge the gap between science and the public. Recognizing the need for experts to inform society through accessible platforms like social media, the workshop encouraged researchers to step into this role.
Participants formed small groups to tackle misinformation in their fields, developing scripts and recording their first TikTok videos. The session ended with a showcase of these videos, demonstrating the creativity and enthusiasm of the researchers. The positive feedback highlighted how enjoyable and impactful the workshop was, inspiring new ways to connect research with society.
(5)Responsible AI in Public Health
Organized by Digital Health and Societal Participation & Health
The session, introduced by Ronald Cornet of APH DH, explored the use of AI in public health, featuring diverse perspectives on ethical, legal, and cultural implications. Zhisheng Huang presented the "Tree Hole Rescue" project, an AI initiative detecting suicide risks in China via social media analysis. Inspired by a Chinese anecdote, modern "tree holes" act as outlets for despair. The AI monitors posts, prioritises urgency using NLP tools, and identifies approximately ten high-risk individuals daily, facilitating prevention. Despite privacy concerns, the project has saved lives and gained international recognition. Its cultural specificity may raise challenges for adaptation in other regions, but its success prevails the challenges. Max Thijhuis discussed AI in occupational health, addressing a shortage of physicians managing prolonged absences due to mental health issues. His research examines attitudes towards AI, highlighting scepticism over privacy, relevance, and self-fulfilling prophecies. AI could enhance efficiency, reduce administrative tasks, and improve care, but trust requires continuous stakeholder involvement and evidence of positive outcomes. The interactive panel, led by Astrid de Wind, debated statements on AI’s impact, transparency, and reliability. While AI shows promise in reducing workload and pattern recognition, concerns persist about privacy, overreliance, and its inability to replace human empathy and contextual judgment.