Community co-design of research intervention materials to reduce cervical cancer disparities in Appalachia

The purpose was to highlight the co-design process of intervention materials as part of a multi-site research collaborative designed to address the burden of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the Appalachian region.

Program documentation and research staff interviews were used to detail the six-step co-design process along with the eight-step community feedback loop used to develop intervention materials.

Feedback was received via key informant interviews and focus groups from healthcare providers (n = 27), community members (n = 164), and Community Advisory Board members (n = 8) for a total of 172 individuals engaged in the co-design process. Staff received 179 unique pieces of community feedback on intervention materials (n = 14) which were divided between the coding categories of wording (32 %), visual (36 %), and content (31 %).

Findings suggest that community co-design can be effectively integrated within a large, multi-state research collaborative to ensure intervention materials are reflective of the populations they are intended to reach.

A practical approach to co-design is described which can be adapted by other large, multi-site research studies. The types of community feedback that researchers can expect during this process are elucidated.