Being a Consumer Representative isn't just limited to joining a committee.
Many of the Centre's projects have one or two people who either live with T1D or care for a child living with the condition embedded in the research team, called Research Buddies. This goes beyond being a participant in a study; someone who’s data is captured and used to answer a research question.
Research buddies provide advice and guidance to researchers that helps make sure that:
- the project is relevant to the community;
- that it will create benefit to children and young people living with T1D;
- review documents such as information sheets and consent forms that are given to parents and young people to ensure the language used is appropriate;
- help with the development of research paper publications when the project has finished; and
- share information and findings at the end of the project with the wider T1D community.
The Centre currently has 17 Research Buddies working across the following projects:
- DiabHQ Patient Portal and Steering Committee;
- Early Access to HCL for newly diagnosed children;
- CaLD Resources development;
- Talking about type 1 diabetes: Understanding adolescents’ needs to have confident conversations;
- CGM technology use to stage and monitor the progression of type 1 diabetes in Australian children with detectable islet auto-antibodies.