Mission 1: What is Quality of Life? Groups organized cards into four categories identified in studies with cancer patients: physical & functional, emotional, social & relational, and care experience. They also contributed their own thoughts. The conversation quickly revealed that individuals prioritize different aspects.

Mission 2: Designing the Study: Each group selected one aspect of quality of life to investigate, a method for data collection (surveys, interviews, focus groups, weekly journals, blood tests, forums…) and a population for the study, ranging from “200 individuals from my city” to “five nations around the globe”. Then came the twist: surprise cards. “Our funding has been reduced.” “People are unwilling to participate in our study.” “We must produce results in five months.” “A newly published paper contradicts your anticipated results.” Groups had to reconsider their designs on the fly. This became one of the most captivating moments of the evening, as it highlighted the real-world limitations that researchers encounter on a daily basis.

Mission 3: The Ethics Committee: In the end, each study was “denied” by a fictitious ethics committee. Groups reviewed the committee’s concerns and discussed them: informed consent, risks and benefits, data protection, equitable participant selection, and conflicts of interest. They then decided if they concurred and how to enhance their proposals.

Key Insights: Engagement and dialogue were high throughout the session. Participants departed with three key takeaways: clearly define your objective, design your study realistically, and always consider ethics. Most importantly, they recognized that individuals affected by research are crucial in defining what “quality of life” truly signifies. This is fundamental to Liveration’s Living Lab methodology.