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The EPIC Participant Advisory Panel meeting was held at the Assembly House, Norwich

This meeting was held as the AGM to review the activities of EPAP during its first year. A presentation was included describing how EPAP had helped with input into the EPIC website, newsletter, public engagement activities, questionnaires, interventional studies and dissemination of study results and information to the wider audience.

Previously EPAP had discussed the possibility of intervention studies in EPIC and a review of the member responses was carried out at the beginning of this meeting. The Panel also discussed possible collaborations and reviewed the brief of one such request and Panel input will be fed back to the EPIC Management Committee.

An update was also given on the recent Science Festival activities in Cambridge. These activities will feature at the Forum in Norwich on Saturday 20 August and Panel members were given the opportunity to test out the activities on offer and provide suggestions for any improvements. Panel members also volunteered to attend the event to assist with the stand.

It was reported that there have been three participant member resignations over the past year due to other commitments and four new members have joined. Currently there is a participant membership base of twelve, with two in reserve. In addition, approximately six of the EPIC study team regularly attend Panel meetings. Additional EPIC staff are invited should an agenda item require specialist involvement.

The members in attendance felt that EPAP had evolved over the past year and that it was very re-assuring to hear that the contributions made during that time had been considered and implemented in the majority of cases.

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