New Paper: Let's Co! The how-to of working within a co-production framework to devise, design and execute collaborative multisite clinical trials

The benefits of incorporating lived and living experience perspectives into eating disorder research are well-documented. However, integrating this valuable experience, alongside the expertise of clinical professionals and researchers, across all stages of the research cycle, has proven to be complex. 

Co-production is a core pillar of The Australian Eating Disorder Research and Translation Centre. It aims to address these complexities by shifting away from involving those with lived experience and practice-based expertise only after research agendas have been set, and instead, fostering collective leadership from the outset. 

“Co-production is not consultation. It is a deliberate shift in power that recognises lived experience as a form of knowledge with equal authority in shaping research priorities, design and impact.” 
– Shannon Calvert, Lived Experience Advisor 
Australian Eating Disorder and Translation Centre  

Despite the known benefits of integrating lived experience, few academic resources offer practical guidance for how to apply co-production frameworks in a research setting. Consequently, many researchers remain uncertain about how to meaningfully embed co-production. 

The Let’s Co! paper, published in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, presents a real-world case study on how the co-production process can be implemented in an eating disorder research setting. It documents the key stages of this process in the shared agenda setting, choice, and design of the Signature Studies; three complex novel eating disorder research studies. These stages included the establishment of governance and structure, novel inpatient clauses, the processes and principles of shared ideation, and collaborative design. 

“Embedding lived experience across governance and decision-making moves co-production beyond symbolism. It reshapes what is prioritised, how risk is understood, and whose voices guide the future of care.”  
– Shannon Calvert 

This research also reflects on the core learnings gained throughout this co-production process, including the natural tensions that can arise when people with differing experiences, expertise, and priorities, work collaboratively towards a shared outcome. 

At present, there is a limited body of published material concerning practical approaches to co-production in large-scale research. Given this, The Let’s Co! paper is a welcome resource for those seeking a proven case study on integrating lived experience.