NASHVILLE, Tenn. Researchers and administrators from University of Utah and George Washington University said the Community Engagement Studio (CE Studio) developed by the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core (CERC) provided them with a better insight into the engagement of research stakeholders. The CE Studio is intended to elicit patient, community or other stakeholder input on a research project.
Catherine Staes, Louisa Stark, Chrissy Daniels, Marcie Hopkins, Diane Liu and Karen Linscott traveled from the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and George Washington University Medstar Health Research Institute for a Peer to Peer Site Visit at Vanderbilt University. The Site Visit was sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges for the Learning Health System awardees.
The Alliance’s Executive Director, Consuelo H. Wilkins, MD, MSCI, and Executive Director of the Office for Community Engagement for the Vanderbilt Institute for Medicine and Public Health Yvonne Joosten, MPH led the Site Visit, which included a mock CE Studio and meetings with faculty from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Meharry Medical College.
Vanderbilt’s Associate Vice-Chancellor for Public Health and Health Care, Robert S. Dittus, M.D., M.P.H., welcomed peers to the university and provided an overview of current efforts, partnerships and projects – which include the Alliance and CERC, a focused partnership between the colleges that seeks to bring academic and community partners together to improve community health and healthcare through research.
Dr. Wilkins and Ms. Joosten provided a detailed overview of the Alliance and the CERC, which aim to build capacity for community-engaged research.
A mock Community Engagement Studio was presented in which a researcher sought input on increasing her research team’s success in recruiting African Americans into a study. Seven African American men and women who have previously participated in CE Studios played the part of community experts in the simulation.
One of the biggest potential barriers the research project would face, the participants said, centered around mistrust. They said historically there is a lack of trust from African Americans, other minorities and low-income families toward researchers. Many wondered about potential risks involved with the project, which they felt weren’t adequately explained. They also shared concerns that the project was not equipped to treat or refer for treatment those uninsured participants who might be diagnosed with disease during the course of the study.
Compensation, the participants said, was another factor. Although the research project allowed for free health screening procedures, a lack of compensation for the time required to participate in the study worried them.
When asked what would alleviate those concerns, they said appropriate compensation and recruiters who were trustworthy, relatable and adequately trained. When discussing recruitment strategies, they recommended changes to the recruitment materials to make them more culturally appealing, and suggested partnering with community centers, local businesses, local events and local churches for outreach into the targeted community.
Following the studio, Joosten commented, “CE Studio participants frequently bring up issues related to community benefit and social justice. They want to know if the researcher is looking at the bigger picture and ask, ‘Who will really benefit from this research? What else are you going to do? You’re concerned about this disease, are you going to give back to the community in some other way? Are you going to educate people? Where is the focus on prevention? These are legitimate questions to pose, I think.”
Staes, who works in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Utah’s School of Medicine, said, “Observing a CE Studio was very instructive, going beyond our expectations. The engaging (yet structured) interchange between ‘community experts’ and the facilitation team provided us with insights that we wouldn’t have gained without ‘being in the room.’”
Staes is also the Associate Director for Knowledge Management and Mobilization for University of Utah Healthcare, a team focused on optimizing clinical decision support and predictive analytics.
“Our multidisciplinary team travelled to Vanderbilt to learn about your strategies and enhance community engagement at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center,” she added. “We value patients as informed consumers and support researchers and community leaders in becoming full partners in research projects that address researchers’ interests and prioritize communities’ health needs.
“Therefore, we are looking for novel ways to improve these efforts in our unique environment. The trip sparked many new ideas among our team for ways we can apply the principles you've formalized with our ‘community’, which is geographically dispersed across many states in the Intermountain West.”
Stark holds appointments at the University of Utah as Director of the Genetic Science Learning Center, Research Associate Professor of Human Genetics and Clinical Professor in the College of Education. She also co-directs the Community Outreach and Collaboration Core of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, chairs the School of Medicine Curriculum Committee and directs the Scholarly Activity program for medical students
Daniels is the director of strategic initiatives for the University of Utah Health Care, leading the organization’s focus on Patient Satisfaction and Value Delivery. She has directed non-profit healthcare organizations, clinic and hospital-based services.
Hopkins works in the Strategic Initiatives office for Daniels as a Quality Improvement Specialist. She works for women’s and children’s inpatient units and outpatient clinics to improve patient satisfaction scores.
Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah. She serves as Co-Director of the Utah Pediatric Partnership to improve Healthcare Quality.
Linscott is the Executive Director of the Rodham Institute and a physical therapist. Prior to joining the institute, she was the Chief Operating Officer at the National Business Coalition on Health located in Washington, D.C. She also served as Vice President for Value-Driven Healthcare at Avalere Health, and she was the Chief Operating Officer for The Leapfrog Group from 2001 – 2008.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance is proud to celebrate 15 years of bridging institutions and communities. The Alliance's mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University and the communities they serve.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core
The Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core brings academic and community partners together to improve health and health care through research. CERC provides support and consultation, education, information, small grants, and access to other resources needed to advance innovative community and patient engaged research intended to improve health and health care. Established in 2007 to support both VICTR and the Meharry Translational Research Center (MeTRC), CERC consists of a diverse team of faculty and staff with considerable experience working in communities, and a Community Advisory Council with representatives from community health centers, public health, non-profit service providers, faith-based organizations, and grassroots community coalitions. In addition to providing individualized consultation to community organizations interested in getting involved in health research and to health researchers wanting to work in community settings, CERC offers a variety of educational and training resources, partnership development, and research support services to expand community engaged research.
About Meharry Medical College
Founded in 1876, Meharry Medical College is a United Methodist related institution that has long been recognized as one of the finest institutions for medical, dental and biomedical science education in the nation. For nearly 140 years, Meharry alumni, students, staff and faculty have fulfilled and continue to live the college’s mission of educating health care providers and researchers to serve the underserved.
About Vanderbilt University
The mission of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is to improve human health. It graduated its first class in 1875 and is one of the leading medical schools in the United States. It is ranked in the top 15 by U.S. News and World Report, and ranks in the top 10 American medical schools in the receipt of National Institutes of Health funding. The school seeks the best and brightest students and provides them with a foundation in the basic and clinical sciences that enables them to become leaders and scholars. The dedicated faculty works closely with each student in a supportive environment that encourages creative thinking and diversity.
