Table 5 Expert panel recommendations and research opportunities

Recommendations on Research Opportunities Related to Engagement Processes

 A. Conduct research to define engagement, including:

  • Define engagement goals and “successful” engagement in IS contexts

  • Define meaningful outcomes to measure impacts or outcomes of engagement:

   o based on context/objectives/type of engagement used

   o outcomes of importance to research teams and institutions

   o outcomes of importance to engagement partners and communities

 B. Determine which engagement theories, models and/or frameworks (TMFs) are most useful for different IS needs or objectives. Integrate engagement constructs into IS TMFs

 C. Generate evidence-based recommendations and training materials

  • Define levels of engagement and strategies associated with each level/depth of engagement—the ‘core function and forms’ of engagement in IS

  • Adapt engagement tools and best practices from other disciplines into IS

  • Generate specific guidance drawn from ES and tailored for IS on:

   o building and supporting a diverse research team

   o creating relationships/partnerships—who to engage and when

   o characterizing the governance structure and team roles and responsibilities

   o defining shared norms and priorities across the research team and engagement partners

   o fostering positive, strengths-based approaches

   o developing objectives, aims, proposal/protocols/procedures along with engagement partners

   o maintaining meaningful engagement throughout project implementation, data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination

   o supporting long-term relationships

Recommendations on Research Opportunities Related to Outcomes

 D. Assess the impact of engagement on IS outcomes:

  • Evaluate situational fit: assess outcomes based on the program/project objectives and the type and level of engagement employed

  • Evaluate the ability of engagement processes to generate change in both implementation process and outcomes, particularly on uptake/adoption, acceptability, cost effectiveness, and sustainability

 E. Sample specific research questions about engagement to integrate into IS studies:

  • What are the engagement practices that lead to optimal engaged research (e.g., sustained relationships; shared values; impactful dissemination)?

  • Who is receiving invitations to engage in research and why are they receiving those invitations (compared to others)?

  • How can we enable multiple communication modes and channels to voice opinions or preferences?

  • What are effective ways to bring groups together to meet a shared goal?

  • How well are different partners engaged throughout the research process (i.e., true vs tokenistic engagement)?

  • What are effective, feasible, and cost-effective activities (such as when resources are limited) for sustaining engagement with communities and other partners?

  • What is the impact of the research/program context on effectiveness of engagement approaches?

  • What facilitators are associated with successful engagement?

  • How can we measure the effectiveness of team composition and leadership structure (multidisciplinary/multi-experience and inclusive of multiple invested parties) for engagement in research? How does the structure, expertise and composition of the research team affect engagement outcomes?

Recommendations on Research Opportunities Related to Structural Barriers

 F. Leverage research evidence to create structural changes needed to expand support for engaged IS

  • Foster champions for this type of work

  • Build funds, evaluative components, and timeline expectations consistent with high-quality engagement into funding opportunities

  • Generate new approaches to amplify and reward engagement for investigators (e.g., adding a section to highlight engagement expertise in professional biosketches; opportunities for engagement to help promotion/tenure)

 G. Sample specific research questions about structural barriers to engagement in IS:

  • What factors influence institutional buy-in of engagement in IS?

  • To what extent does engaged research increase policy maker confidence in research findings and recommendations?

  • To what extent do grants that facilitate engagement (e.g., timelines, funding, expectation setting, etc.) improve outcomes?

  • What is the impact of engaged research on trust in health systems, particularly in minoritized communities?

  • What are the optimal strategies for training researchers, students, research partners, and institutional leaders to participate in, conduct, or support engaged research? When training researchers, how do we embed the “will” to do real engagement researchers? How to support trainees/trainings/lower barriers to entry for the “engagement-curious” researcher & community partner?

Overarching Recommendations

 • Robust evidence generation on ES outcomes is critical, though additional effort will be required to incentivize uptake and institutionalization of ES practices

 • Seek additional viewpoints, particularly focused on patient and community perspectives, into future efforts to refine needs and research priorities