Table 5.

Overview of the terms of reference

Subsection	Key components, including examples
Preamble	Background and project objectives
Research team	Team members’ names, positions, roles and responsibilities
Stakeholders	Patients, hospital clinicians, nurses, information technology leadership
Responsibilities and opportunities for patient partners	For example, to partner with the research team to participate in the consultation activity, share feedback, perspectives and experiences, be available during consultations
Responsibilities and opportunities for researchers	For example, to maintain and ensure confidentiality of patient partner identity, use feedback to inform research, demonstrate diligence in the dissemination of knowledge
General expectations related to patient engagement	For example, to recognise lived experience as a form of knowledge and expertise, be mindful of wording for any written materials, maintain a fair and structured relationship that does not cross professional boundaries and so on.
Process	Work plan, modalities, define in-scope and out-of-scope activities for consultation, proposed timelines
Contingencies	Assumptions, known constraints, estimated risks, mitigation plan
Expected outcomes	Major project milestones and deliverable, for example, proposed manuscripts, presentations, potential future projects and so on.
Criteria for success	Measurable success metrics, for example, approval by more than 70% of stakeholders