Engaging the voice of the lived experience in research is crucial for engagement, accuracy and quality of our work. This gives people with a lived experience the opportunity to participate in and manage their own narrative. This model holds the sharing of consumer knowledge and experience as an important part of recovery and can include ways for peers to be involved in treatment​. A growing body of literature supports the value of understanding peoples’ perspectives of their treatment experience to inform clinical practice and research​.

Across all of our work, including the development of livED and many tri-state translation hub projects, we aim to consult with people identified to be involved in care, research and advocacy for people with an eating disorder and lived experience research, to establish an appropriate approach to each project and to seek advice as to how to engage people with eating disorders, their families, carers and supports. We are also engaging in professional development and peer review to develop co-design principals and processes and seeking every opportunity to develop peer-researchers from diverse experiences.