Patient Journeys in Health:

Bringing AI Along for the Ride

On 2 February 2026, AI MULTIPLY welcomed researchers, clinicians, patients, data scientists, public contributors, and community partners to The Catalyst in Newcastle for the end-of-project conference Patient Journeys in Health: Bringing AI Along for the Ride. 

The day offered space to reflect on the progress achieved during the NIHR Artificial Intelligence for Multiple Long-Term Conditions (AIM) Programme, celebrate breakthroughs, and look ahead to the future of AI-supported care for people living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs).

Setting the Scene and Opening Remarks

Co-lead investigators Prof Nick Reynolds and Prof Mike Barnes opened the event by welcoming attendees and acknowledging the consortium’s progress across three and a half years of interdisciplinary work. 

They were joined by Prof Frances Mair, Chair of the AI MULTIPLY Research Steering Group. Prof Mair opened the conference with insightful remarks that grounded the day in the importance of collaborative, interdisciplinary research addressing multiple long-term conditions.   

Why Research Collaboration Matters

The keynote was delivered by Prof Avan Aihie Sayer, Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC) Cross-NIHR Collaboration (CNC) Co-Chair and Co-Director of NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

Prof Sayer’s keynote ‘MLTC and the Health of the Nation: Why Research Collaboration Matters,’ highlighted the growing national priority of MLTCs and the need for coordinated research efforts. By harnessing collective expertise, we have the opportunity to deliver research that can meaningfully improve the lives of people living with MLTCs.

Prof Sayer emphasised that MLTCs are now central to major government strategies, including the 10 Year Health Plan for England and the Life Sciences Sector Plan. She highlighted the significant personal and societal costs associated with MLTCs and the urgent need for integrated, data-driven approaches to improve outcomes.

A key focus of her address was the role of collaboration. As Co-Chair of the MLTC CNC, she outlined how this initiative, hosted by the NIHR Newcastle BRC and the NIHR ARC East Midlands, brings together NIHR translational, applied, and policy research infrastructure to identify shared priorities and accelerate progress. She also pointed to growing national momentum, supported by initiatives such as the UKRI-NIHR Strategic Priorities Fund and the NIHR Artificial Intelligence for MLTC (AIM) Programme, which funds AI MULTIPLY. 

The Patient Perspective – Real Stories, Real Impact

A core thread running through the entire AI MULTIPLY programme was patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). PPIE co–leads Olivia Grant, Victoria Bartle, and Ceri Durham were joined by the PPIE management group and shared how PPIE contributors have shaped every aspect of the project, including each stage from decision-making, evaluation, creative engagement, to dissemination. 

From community-led evaluation to art workshops, animation, theatre, and technical involvement in data science meetings, the PPIE team what truly transformative involvement can look like and shared their contributions with the audience. 

The session was facilitated by journalist Jeremy Armstrong. He directed questions to the contributors in lay language. This unique format added deep engagement with event participants and contributed to make the research accessible to the audience. 

AI Insights into Health Data and Towards Clinical Translation

AI MULTIPLY researchers presented findings, methods and real-world impact by stepping into conversation with Jeremy Armstrong. His approach transformed the session from a presentations‑only format into something far more engaging and stimulating. 

Bursty Dynamics in Healthcare
Alisha Angdembe and Prof Mike Barnes introduced a new way of understanding health instability by analysing clusters of diagnoses and care events in health records. Bursty patterns showed strong links to adverse outcomes, especially in older adults. 

Intersectional Inequalities Scorecard
Prof Mike Barnes and Ceri Durham showcased a practical tool designed to embed equity into AI development by assessing dataset representation and model performance across intersecting populations such as ethnicity, gender, and deprivation.  

Polypharmacy Workbench
Dr Rafael Henkin presented an interactive analytics platform that helps researchers and clinicians explore prescribing patterns, health outcomes, and inequalities in polypharmacy, enabling safer, more personalised care.  

Readmission Prediction Using Self-Supervised Learning
A novel self-supervised learning approach to predicting re-admission, mortality, and hospital stay length using routine health records was presented by Rebeen Hamad, Paolo Missier, Prof Nick Reynolds. 

Trial Emulation with Real–World Data
Prof James Wason and Ellen Moss used target–trial emulation to answer critical treatment questions (e.g., deprescribing decisions) in the absence of traditional trials. 

Lurking, Soaking, Reflecting and Collaborating
Duncan Reynolds and Dr Megan Clinch took a sociotechnical look at how AI development is shaped by collaboration, ethics, explainability, and the social processes behind technical decisions.

Parallel Workshops 

Participants then joined one of four interactive workshops. Each explored a critical dimension of the future of AI in the NHS. 

Translation to Patient Benefit
This session was facilitated by Prof Adam Todd and Anum Iqbal and examined how AI could progress from promising models to trusted clinical tools. Questions focused on evaluating effectiveness, integrating AI safely into workflows, and ensuring adoption does not widen inequalities. 

Data and Holistic Health
The group run by Prof Nick Reynolds and Prof Paolo Missier explored the rapidly evolving national data landscape, including Trusted Research Environments, OpenSAFELY, Secure Data Environments, and the National Data Library. Participants discussed risk, transparency, commercial access, and the importance of public trust.  

Scaling Transformative PPIE
Claire Hills-Wilson and Fiona Cammack drew on the extraordinary PPIE practice established within AI MULTIPLY, this workshop addressed how to fund PPIE early and meaningfully, the urgent need to professionalise PPIE roles, ideas for a national PPIE hub, and strengthening leadership, evaluation, and shared frameworks. 

Participants emphasised the need for structural support like two-stage funding models, clearer roles, and national coordination to help embed PPIE as a central pillar of AI-in-health research. 

Interdisciplinarity and Capacity Building
The discussion facilitated by Duncan Reynolds focused on the realities of interdisciplinary teamwork across clinical, data science, social science, and public perspectives. They were weaved around the themes of embracing discomfort and knowledge gaps, developing shared working objects and reference points, the importance of trust and long-term relationships, and time and space for reflection. 

Closing Reflections and Looking Ahead

In his closing remarks, Mario Moroso, Assistant Director of NIHR Research Programmes, emphasised the consortium’s achievements, the importance of continuing to highlight the importance of lived experience, and the potential for AI MULTIPLY’s tools and insights to influence national policy and practice.  

We left the day with a shared sense of momentum and a clear roadmap for what comes next.

LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS (LLM’s) EXPLAINED

Please see links to explainer videos which were developed as part of the PPIE work in Tower Hamlets to explain Large Language Models (LLMs) and how they can be used in research.

WHAT ARE LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS (LLMs)?

HOW ARE LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS (LLMs) USED IN HEALTHCARE AND RESEARCH?

HERE ARE LINKS TO THE ABOVE VIDEOS IN BENAGLI.

AI-MULTIPLY engagement with SAfH

On 9th October 2025, AI- MULTIPLY came together with SAfH for a dynamic engagement event that spotlighted the Lawnmowers Theatre piece and live powerful performance of Lawnmowers actors.

Held in collaboration with the SAfH PPIE group, the session invited thoughtful reflection and open dialogue, as attendees shared feedback on the theatre piece and its relevance to lived experience and public involvement.

The exchange enriched our understanding and affirmed the value of creative approaches in shaping inclusive research practices.

PPIE group members gathered for a vibrant final in-person meeting

On 8th October 2025, the AI-MULTIPLY PPIE group gathered for a vibrant final in-person meeting at Queen Mary University of London.

The day featured rich discussions and creative sessions, including a powerful Forum Theatre presentation by Lawnmowers, insights into project impact and evaluation, and a showcase of animations created by Lizzie Remfry.

Led by contributors across the team, the agenda celebrated collaboration, reflection, and next steps, culminating in the unveiling of the PPIE Handbook and heartfelt thanks to all involved.

PPIE Members present at the International Creative Methods Conference

(From left to right, Claire Hills-Wilson, Lawnmowers creative director, Francis, Lawnmowers actor, Sue Mountain, Fiona Cammack and Victoria Bartle (PPIE contributors on AI-MULTIPLY). All holding creative methods conference cupcakes.)

Last week, members of our PPIE (Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement) group had the opportunity to present at the International Creative Methods Conference. The session explored the potential of creative methodologies as alternatives to traditional research approaches, particularly in making research more accessible, inclusive, and collaborative.

They shared their journey working with Lawnmowers Theatre Company, highlighting how involving people with Learning Disabilities in the AI-MULTIPLY project not only enriched the research process but also challenged conventional ideas about who research is for and by.

Their presentation walked the audience through:

• The rationale for using creative methods in research;
• The unique contribution of co-production with people with Learning Disabilities;
• Why involvement in AI development and implementation is both crucial and transformative;
• What they hoped to achieve through this creative collaboration — not just in terms of outcomes, but in shaping how we work and who gets to be involved.

It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with others exploring similar approaches, and to reflect on how creativity can break down barriers and build more inclusive research futures.

Please read Victoria Bartle’s Blog with further details about the conference. http://ai-multiply.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/International-Creative-Methods-Conference-Blog-Victoria-Bartle.docx

The stage setting for their performance.

Creative Research Methods Conference 2025

#ICRMC #ICRMC25

Congratulations to Victoria Bartle, PPIE member, for being awarded the Fuse Director Award. Fuse website #FuseAwards25

This was in recognition of the excellent and significant contributions she has made to public engagement in Fuse. Victoria played a crucial role in starting off the Fuse podcasts, contributes to the Fuse Strategy Board and of course to the Public Advisory Network and other aspects of Fuse.

Special acknowledgment goes to Victoria for the contributions made to the cause of public engagement in research in Fuse, and also to other research networks and projects. Through her work she has strengthened the representation of public voice in research and inspired others to be involved too.

Research Associate, Kieran Richards won “Poster with best scientific content” at the Multiple Long-Term Conditions: From Research To Reality Meeting, in Birmingham in May 2025, for the poster titled

“Understanding the Pattern of Prescribed Medication”.

The poster describes the new method for clustering individuals on multiple long-term medications based upon multiple facets of their prescription patterns: which drugs were prescribed, when they were prescribed, and at what dosage they were prescribed. This presents an alternative approach to understanding polypharmacy compared to the simple count of medications that’s typically used to define polypharmacy.

The author list was: Kieran Richards, Rafael Henkin, Michael Barnes, Nick J. Reynolds, Bruce Guthrie, Sohan Seth.

Members of our team attended the AIM RSF Multiple Long-Term Conditions: From Research to Reality conference in Birmingham sharing outcomes from the Research Collaboratives supported via Strategic Priority Fund “Tackling Multimorbidity at Scale” and NIHR Artificial Intelligence for MLTC (AIM) funding initiatives.

This conference was an opportunity for those from across the MLTC research community to come together, build new collaborations and support a wider impact of this investment by highlighting the results for the policy makers, industry and regulatory stakeholders!

Our PPIE contributors were in the panel discussion & presented findings from our PPIE ECR collaborations, there was a PI project update & lessons learned from the PM team sharing poster presentations.