A practice-based tool for engaging stakeholders in future research: a synthesis of current practices

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Comparative Effectiveness Research

Background:

• Patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and comparative effectiveness research (CER) aim to increase stakeholder involvement for actionable information.
• Effective stakeholder engagement in research prioritization is crucial for relevance and impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current practices for engaging stakeholders in research prioritization.
• To identify effective methods and challenges in stakeholder engagement for PCOR and CER.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of 56 articles on stakeholder engagement in research prioritization.
• Semistructured interviews with leading research organizations and eight Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs).

Main Results:

• Mixed methods, combining in-person meetings with Delphi ranking/voting, were frequently used.
• EPCs utilized web/conference calls with Delphi methods for engagement.
• Difficulties were reported in engaging the public, policymakers, and federal stakeholders.

Conclusions:

• Consistent terminology for stakeholders was lacking.
• In-person methods facilitated idea generation, while quantitative methods aided prioritization.
• Recommendations and a reporting checklist for effective stakeholder engagement were developed.