Community-Based Participatory Research

Abstract

Clinical researchers strive to improve outcomes for the subjects of their research. Whether testing a novel drug, procedure, or behavioral intervention, the goal is to positively impact the recipient's health. It is the academic researcher, therefore, who identifies the health need and then devises a strategy to address that need. Contrast this to research in which the subject is not only the beneficiary of the product of the research but is a co-creator of the research from its inception to completion. This participatory approach to research will be the subject of this article. Specifically, we will describe community-based participatory research (CBPR), its importance, its use, and how stroke specialists can employ this research approach. CBPR Defined Community-based participatory research can be defined by deconstructing its name. It involves partnership between academic researchers and community stakeholders. How is community defined? Although the first instinct is to define community based on geographical boundaries, community is better defined by common identity irrespective of geographical limits. Members of a community share common values, interests, and have an emotional bond. 1 Therefore, a community might be identified based on race, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation, or a community-based organization united for a particular cause. CBPR is participatory, the community and academic partners work together to devise a research question, carry out the research, and disseminate the findings. CBPR is committed to bi-directional learning. Community members, who may have had limited previous experience with research, acquire skills that can be used to further promote their causes and in future projects. Academic researchers must take care to be transparent, equitable, and culturally sensitive; empowering community members to be shared decisionmakers in the research process. CBPR enables researchers to obtain a better understanding of the community's strengths, challenges and opportunities. This benefit is of particular

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