Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Embedding emotional safety in consumer involvement: development of a resource for consumers and researchers (146151)

Bora Kim 1 2 , Gill Stannard 2 3 , Shiho Rose 2 , Tong Li 2 , Andrea Smith 2 4 , The Daffodil Centre’s Consumer Panel Group 2 , The Daffodil Centre’s Consumer Involvement in Research Working Group 2
  1. Sydney Local Health District, Cancer Care Research Unit, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, and Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia
  3. Consumer Advocate, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Metastatic Breast Cancer Action Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Aims: The Daffodil Centre’s Consumer Involvement in Research Working Group (CIRWG) was established to build researcher capacity and confidence in meaningful consumer engagement. Following an identified need in the Centre to better support emotional safety in consumer-research partnerships, the CIRWG was tasked with developing a resource to raise awareness of potential emotional challenges and promote proactive approaches in addressing them.

Methods: Resource development involved three phases: (1) Initial consultation with the Centre’s Consumer Panel, a standing committee representing the cancer community, to inform content; (2) Resource drafting using existing evidence; 3) Iterative reviews with the Centre’s Consumer Panel and Leadership team. Feedback was incorporated through multiple rounds until consensus was reached.

Results: The development phases highlighted the importance of a concise, accessible resource that raised awareness rather than prescribed specific actions. The final resource was a one-page document designed to promote reflection, shared understanding and proactive consideration of emotional safety in consumer-researcher partnerships. Key topics included: (1) Acknowledging and normalising emotional responses when sharing personal experiences; (2) Minimising unnecessary distress (e.g., avoiding consumer requests to repeatedly retell their stories); (3) Recognising the emotional vulnerability of researchers, particularly those early in their careers; (4) Maintaining healthy emotional boundaries; and (5) The role of leaders in fostering supportive environments and ensuring availability of appropriate supports. The resource was launched in February 2026 and publicly available on the Centre’s and Sydney Health Partners websites. By 30 June 2026, the Centre’s webpage received 223 visitors, with 41 downloads of the resource.

Conclusions: The co-designed approach ensured that the emotional safety resource reflected the perspectives and priorities of both consumers and researchers. The resulting resource provides a practical and accessible tool to support emotional safety and may serve as a useful resource for other organisations seeking to strengthen consumer involvement in research.