Same description, different values. How service users and providers define patient and public involvement in health care.

Background: Patient and public involvement in health care is important, but the existing definitions of the concept do not integrate the stakeholders' own perceptions.

Objective: To investigate and compare service users' and service providers' own definitions of patient and public involvement and their implications.

Design, Setting And Participants: Qualitative study with mainly individual in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted between June 2007 and June 2009.