Community engagement in the CTSA program: stakeholder responses from a national Delphi process

Area of Science:

• Community-based participatory research
• Translational science
• Health services research

Background:

• The Institute of Medicine (IOM) requested stakeholder input on the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program.
• Two organizations, CCHERS and CCPH, gathered feedback from CTSA stakeholders on community engagement.
• The Delphi method was employed to build consensus among diverse stakeholders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To solicit and analyze stakeholder feedback on community engagement within the CTSA program.
• To identify key themes regarding the benefits, integration, and feasibility of community engagement.
• To assess stakeholder perspectives on strengthening community engagement in translational research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Delphi method with academic and community stakeholders.
• Administered electronic surveys with six IOM-posed questions on community engagement.
• Employed thematic coding, Likert scale agreement ratings, and impact/feasibility rankings across three rounds.

Main Results:

• Common themes highlighted the benefits of community engagement in translational research.
• Stakeholders emphasized the need to integrate community engagement across all CTSA program components.
• A significant theme revealed stakeholder skepticism regarding the feasibility of strengthening CTSA community engagement.

Conclusions:

• Community engagement is recognized as valuable and essential for the CTSA program.
• Despite perceived benefits, practical implementation and feasibility challenges remain a concern for stakeholders.
• Further strategies are needed to address stakeholder skepticism and enhance the integration of community engagement.