ABSTRACT
You should be sure of your purpose before involving patients and the public in planning and delivering care, know how to choose the right method and how to use the information gained to best effect. Different techniques may give dissimilar results if the methods used are biased. Biases may arise if the sampling of the population is unscientific and the people involved are not representative of the population as a whole, if the questions used are ambiguous or if those participating do not give honest answers. If the consultation is about complex issues like rationing or prioritising healthcare, the participants are likely to need to be informed about the topic first and have opportunities to discuss, debate and reflect on the issues.1
