Enhancing health research teams with CONTEXTperts.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Research teams often benefit from diverse expertise beyond traditional members.
• Integrating real-world experience can enhance research quality and impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe the role of Context and Topic Experts (CONTEXTperts) in research.
• To highlight the value CONTEXTperts bring to research teams and projects.

Main Methods:

• CONTEXTperts provide real-world experience relevant to the study's context and topic.
• Consultations can involve individual meetings or group sessions.
• This model complements, but does not replace, other forms of engagement.

Main Results:

• CONTEXTperts enhance research team expertise, capacity, and creativity.
• They contribute to improving research questions, study designs, implementation, and dissemination.
• Value has been demonstrated across various research methods and study designs.

Conclusions:

• CONTEXTperts offer a practical and affordable model to add vision and reality checks to research teams.
• Their involvement can lead to more effective and applicable research outcomes.