Trust in Community-Engaged Research Partnerships: A Methodological Overview of Designing a Multisite Clinical and...

Area of Science:

• Translational science
• Community-engaged research (CEnR)
• Health equity

Background:

• Community-engaged research (CEnR) leverages the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) framework to address health disparities in underserved and minority populations.
• A gap exists in understanding the empirical processes of trust development within CEnR partnerships.
• Trust is a critical outcome and form of social capital in CEnR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically investigate the development and maintenance of trust in CEnR partnerships from a multi-stakeholder perspective.
• To understand how trust functions as social capital within these collaborations.
• To develop initial trust measures applicable across CTSAs.

Main Methods:

• A multi-institutional pilot study employing concept mapping was conducted.
• Data were collected from three key stakeholder groups: community partners, healthcare professionals, and academic researchers.
• Concept mapping, a mixed-methods approach, facilitated brainstorming and relationship mapping of trust factors.

Main Results:

• Identified key factors contributing to trust development and maintenance across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Provided insights into the conceptualization of trust from community, healthcare, and academic perspectives.
• Established a foundation for developing standardized trust measures within the CTSA network.

Conclusions:

• Trust is a vital component of successful CEnR, acting as social capital.
• Understanding stakeholder-specific trust factors is essential for effective partnership building.
• The developed insights and measures can track public trust and guide future CEnR initiatives.