Prepare engage process action (PEPA): a co-designed approach to integrating consumer feedback during placements

Authentically partnering with consumers as co-educators in health students’ education during placements is nuanced, given the diversity of consumers, practice contexts and students. Co-design of educational interventions to address these complexities is required. This research outlines the development of a consumer feedback system created by a co-design team. A co-design team, including a consumer, student, educator, and academic, used design thinking methods to define the problem and created guiding principles to consider when developing a consumer feedback system for placements. The principles were then applied to a local occupational therapy education programme to develop a consumer feedback system specific to their programme. The design team created eight guiding principles for health educators to consider when developing a consumer feedback system for use during placements. Application of these principles is presented using the PEPA System–Prepare, Engage, Process and Action. To our knowledge, this is the first co-designed consumer feedback system that was developed by all collaborators involved in student learning during placements. The PEPA System aims to enhance authentic consumer contribution to learning during placements while addressing the complexity and diversity of all collaborators involved in learning. Further research is required to evaluate the feedback system.