Best Practices in the Conduct of Community Engagement Studios at MaineHealth Institute for Research

Community engagement (CE) Studios are an established method for integrating lived-experience expertise into research at 1 or more specific points within a project. Although many researchers understand the value of incorporating community input, they often lack the tools, skills, or infrastructure to do so effectively. CE Studios address this challenge by offering a structured, consultative approach to engagement.

CE Studios occur at any point across the research lifecycle and are used to inform research design, feasibility, relevance, recruitment, implementation, and translation. In a 1-time, 2-hour consultation, CE Studios bring lived-experience expertise into the research process, helping projects center patients' perspectives and inform research direction. Rooted in prior work by the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, this model builds rapport with intended audiences and strengthens capacity for engagement among researchers and community members.

CE Studios require institutional support through the establishment of a neutral team trained in the model. At MaineHealth Institute for Research, a CE Studios team comprising community engagement and outreach navigators and staff was established in fall 2022. The CE Studio program is supported by the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research Network infrastructure grant and nested within a larger community-engaged research effort. Since launch, the team has supported 14 CE Studios for 11 projects and collaborated with 5 institutions across Northern New England. This paper describes the implementation process at MaineHealth Institute for Research, as well as team roles, CE Studios structure, and lessons learned from launching and sustaining the model.