What is a hybrid meeting ?
As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes , hybrid meetings are becoming more widespread .
A hybrid meeting is where some people take part in the meeting online and other attendees take part while being physically present in a place together . Hybrid meetings are typically held on an online platform ( e . g ., Microsoft Teams� or Zoom� ). Some people join online , whilst other attendees are physically present in a meeting room and join the meeting as a group , often through a single webcam .
Why these recommendations are needed
It became clear from our discussions in Faculty User and Carer Liaison Group meetings toward the end of 2021 and early 2022 that hybrid meetings bring challenges that are different to pure online meetings , as well as some that are the same or similar .
We shared experiences of public and patient involvement and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 .
Our report included ways to help public contributors to take part in online meetings .
Other organisations , such as the National Institute for Health Research , have now produced similar
guidance .
However , this guidance does not address all of the specific challenges associated with hybrid meetings , so we aimed to develop guidance on this to help those involved in organising and attending hybrid meetings in the Faculty .
The obvious reason for adopting a hybrid meeting approach is that it gives people choice in how to take part . In turn , this may help to reverse the decline in public and patient involvement and engagement that has been seen during the pandemic .
This was highlighted in an October 2020
report but anecdotally the problem remains , with attendance at many online public contributor group meetings being reported to be 50 % or less compared to before the pandemic .
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