Three of the most established consumer and community involvement initiatives originated in the UK, the United States, and Canada. In these countries, consumer and community involvement have different terms. Some of the most common terms used, and referred to throughout this website, are:

• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) – used in the UK to refer to Consumer and Community Involvement. INVOLVE is the UK’s national advisory group, established in 1996 to support greater public involvement in the National Health Service, public health and social care research.

• Patient-Orientated Research (POR) – used in Canada and the United States to refer to a continuum of research by multidisciplinary teams. Patient-Oriented Research engages with patients as partners, focuses on patient-identified priorities, and seeks to improve patient outcomes. The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) in Canada and Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) in the US are key initiatives for Patient-Oriented Research.