About co-creation

Co-creation is everywhere.

It’s supposed to be about designing solutions together, not just collecting knowledge, experiences, and opinions. (Agnello, 2025a)

Co‑creation is more than gathering data or generating ideas; it embeds collaboration at every stage—from recruitment and data analysis to dissemination. This flexibility gives co‑creators real influence over the work, ensuring their perspectives and insights are meaningfully woven into the final outcomes.

Applying this approach in the project highlighted the importance of continual adaptation and responsiveness, reinforcing that co‑creation is as much about the process as it is about the end result.

As a strand of Participatory Action Research, co‑creation provides a structured, collaborative way to design interventions, bringing all key stakeholders—including patients—together to shape the most appropriate solution.

Dr Laura Blackburn has developed a fantastic website dedicated to co-creation. You can access it here - Home | Ahps Using Co Creati

In addition, Health CASCADE have developed useful introductory videos and infographics which illustrates the key stages involved in co-creation.

Health CASCADE is a Marie Skłodowska Curie Innovative Training Networks project funded by the European Union (H2020 MSCA ITN) (Project number 956501). Health CASCADE is the first multidisciplinary expert network dedicated to researching the methodology of evidence-based co-creation for public health

"the inconsistent use of key terms like co-creation, co-design, and co-production, have created a fragmented or disconnected evidence base."

Co-Pro Ideas Clinic

I shared my learning journey about co-production and co-creation in the Co-Pro Ideas Clinic in September 2024. This allowed me a dedicated space to reflect on my Fellowship to date, then review what I needed to do to progress my project forward!