Community Advisory Board Members Speak Out: Insights From an Opioid Overdose Study
Deborah Chassler1, Ariel Hayes2, Craig McClay3
1Boston University School of Social Work, Boston, MA, USA.
Summary
Community Advisory Boards (CABs) provide valuable lived experience knowledge in substance use research, highlighting root causes of overdose fatalities and fostering trust. Their insights are crucial for equitable outcomes and advancing knowledge democracy in public health initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Community-Engaged Research
- Substance Use Studies
Background:
- Community Advisory Boards (CABs) offer a structured platform for community members to advise academic researchers.
- Integrating lived experience knowledge is vital for understanding drug use and achieving equitable research outcomes.
- Knowledge democracy emphasizes valuing diverse ways of knowing beyond traditional scientific perspectives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe the knowledge shared by Massachusetts CAB members with researchers during an opioid overdose fatality reduction study.
- To center the contributions of community knowledge in substance use research.
Main Methods:
- Directed content analysis of 43 monthly CAB meeting minutes.
- Focus on member knowledge regarding opioid use and overdose.
- Centering the expertise of people with lived and living experience of drug use.
Main Results:
- CAB members actively shared their knowledge and expertise.
- Members identified and highlighted the root causes of opioid overdose fatalities.
- Discussions fostered solidarity and trust among CAB members and study staff.
Conclusions:
- A CAB, including individuals with lived/living experience of drug use, is a significant source of valuable knowledge in substance use research.
- Centering the voices of people with lived/living experience, frontline staff, and family members advances knowledge democracy.
- This case study underscores the critical role of CABs in informing equitable and effective public health research.
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