Measuring Stakeholder Engagement in Statewide Primary Care Cardiovascular Health Improvement Cooperatives

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Quality Improvement Science

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) presents significant health disparities.
• Federal initiatives promote statewide quality improvement (QI) cooperatives to address heart health.
• Effective QI cooperatives necessitate high member engagement, requiring assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and validate a novel Cooperative Member Survey.
• Assess cooperative member engagement and perceived value.
• Evaluate the survey's utility across three statewide heart health QI cooperatives.

Main Methods:

• A 14-item survey with fixed-response and open-ended questions was developed iteratively using a Delphi process.
• The survey was administered to key stakeholders within three QI cooperatives.
• Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed, followed by factor structure and validity analysis.

Main Results:

• A two-factor structure emerged: 'Cooperative Engagement' (11 items) and 'Cooperative Value' (2 items).
• 'Cooperative Engagement' measured overall cooperative functioning.
• 'Cooperative Value' assessed perceived benefits of mutual learning and respect.

Conclusions:

• The Cooperative Member Survey effectively captures operational aspects and member-perceived benefits.
• Successful QI cooperatives require efficient operations and a strong sense of shared value.
• Focusing on engagement and fostering mutual respect/learning can improve public health outcomes.