Desjardin, Romaine <br/><br/>
The effects of being a citizen member of a community dedicated to cancer research 

 -  2024.<br/>							 
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<br/><br/> Introduction: Faced with the difficulties of recruiting participants in health research and the weak link between researchers and target audiences, the Seintinelles collaborative research platform aims to bring citizens and researchers together, in the interests of faster, more relevant cancer research. The platform speeds up participant recruitment, improves research quality, and thus promotes health democracy and the development of participatory research. Purpose of the research: Now that the consequences for research are better identified, the aim of this study is to identify the effects perceived by people involved in cancer-related research, registered on the Seintinelles platform. Results: A total of 1,806 people registered on the platform answered an online self-questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and univariate statistical tests, giving rise to three types of identified impact. First, the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and the rapprochement of engaged citizens with the world of research. Second, the acquisition of a satisfying status as an “actor” in their own health and in the healthcare system, linked to a sense of usefulness through their contribution to research. Third, the benefits of changing one’s relationship with illness and the fight against cancer. Conclusions: These data demonstrate the relevance and usefulness of citizen involvement in cancer-related research for these volunteers, which is a quality-of-life issue, particularly for those directly affected by cancer.