A stakeholder engagement method navigator webtool for clinical and translational science

Area of Science:

• Clinical and Translational Science
• Health Services Research
• Community-Engaged Research

Background:

• Funders and researchers increasingly value stakeholder engagement in clinical and translational science.
• Many researchers lack resources for expert consultation or training in selecting appropriate engagement methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a novel webtool, the Stakeholder Engagement Navigator.
• To provide researchers with guidance on selecting appropriate stakeholder engagement methods.

Main Methods:

• Environmental scan and literature review.
• Investigator interviews, surveys, and expert group discussions.
• Iterative design process using Design Thinking phases (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test).
• Formal review and cataloging of 29 distinct engagement methods.

Main Results:

• Development of the Stakeholder Engagement Navigator webtool (V1.0 available at DICEMethods.org).
• The webtool educates and guides investigators in selecting engagement methods.
• Filtering criteria prioritized by users include purpose of engagement, budget, time, and interaction frequency.

Conclusions:

• The Stakeholder Engagement Navigator is a user-centered, interactive tool for researchers.
• It addresses the need for accessible guidance on selecting stakeholder engagement methods in clinical and translational research.