Date Presented 04/04/19
This presentation will highlight the findings of a scoping review examining measurement and evaluation of stakeholder engagement in clinical research. We will also discuss strategies for using our findings to enhance future investigations as an additional strategy for enhancing OT’s distinct value and building capacity for rehabilitation-specific stakeholder engagement.
Primary Author and Speaker: Jenny Martinez
Contributing Authors: Carin Wong, Karin Saric, Dawn Clayton Bieber, Bonita Perry, Natalie Leland
PURPOSE AND RATIONALE: Stakeholder engagement in research is the meaningful involvement of individuals who are impacted by healthcare decisions in project development, execution, and dissemination.1 Addressing the needs of key stakeholders is critical to research and optimizes the impact, relevance, and implementability of health serivices.2 In the recent years, stakeholder engagement has received increased attention given national healthcare initiatives prioritizing person-centered care and quality of services. Yet, there is little evidence on its measurement given the nascent nature of this field.3 To this end, understanding the most recent developments in evaluation of stakeholder engagement addresses a gap in the profession’s knowledge and builds capacity for future rehabilitation-specific investigations.
DESIGN: Scoping Review
METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of the literature to examine current evidence on measurement and evaluation of stakeholder engagement in clinical research. The search was conducted on PubMed, CINAHL, and ProQuest databases. Inclusion criteria consisted of the following search terms: stakeholder engagement, research, measurement, evaluation, and assessment. With the guidance of a research librarian, a research strategy was created and implemented. In addition, a hand search of the PCORI database was conducted to identify additional articles.
ANALYSIS AND RESULTS: The initial sample was screened for eligibility. Articles published within the last 5 years (i.e., 2013-2018) were included to capture the emergent and growing body of literature on this topic. We included studies written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals.
From the final article sample, we identified a range of measurements with varying quality. For example, some tools measured attendance, others used qualitative interviewing to gather stakeholder perspectives and experiences, while others administered questionnaires. Across our final sample, we identified common domains for the evaluation of stakeholder engagement, including constant communication, collaborative decision-making, fostering co-learning, and partnered dissemination efforts. We also identified gaps in this area, such as the need for psychometric data and standardizing stakeholder engagement-related terminology.
CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate the complexity of measuring stakeholder engagement and support further investigation. Our results also offer areas for the future development of new measures for stakeholder engagement in research or the bolstering of existing tools. Given occupational therapy’s focus on client-centered research and practice, measuring stakeholder engagement in future investigations is one additional way to enhance the professions’ distinct value and to build capacity for rehabilitation-specific stakeholder engagement.
IMPACT STATEMENT AND RELATION TO RESEARCH PRIORITIES: Occupational therapy research that responds to stakeholder priorities is essential for meeting the needs of diverse and marginalized communities. Our findings offer a clear path for evaluating stakeholder in research, thus strengthening rehabilitation-specific research initiatives and their utility. Evaluating stakeholder engagement is also important for understanding the extent to which each stakeholder’s unique contribution is leveraged in a study, thereby supporting the allocation and management of research resources (e.g., time, personnel, study funding). Further efforts to build upon our findings and strengthen the evaluation of stakeholder engagement in research can have a significant positive impact on enhancing the relevance and trustworthiness of study findings, thus enhancing research impact and evidencing occupational therapy’s distinct value.
References
1. Concannon, T. W., Meissner, P., Grunbaum, J., McElwee, N., Guise, J., Santa, J., . . . Leslie, L. K. (2012). A new taxonomy for stakeholder engagement in patient-centered outcomes research. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(8), 985-91.
2. Lamb, A. J. & Metzler, C. A. (2014). Health Policy Perspectives—Defining the value of occupational therapy: A health policy lens on research and practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 9–14.
3. Bowen, D. J., Hyams, T., Goodman, M., West, K. M., Harris-Wai, J., & Yu J-H. (2017). Systematic review of quantitative measures of stakeholder engagement. Clinical and Translational Science, 10, 314-336.
