Evaluation of an experiential training program in patient-centered outcomes and comparative effectiveness research for diverse researcher communities and health care organizations

Abstract

Background/Objective: The goal of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Partnership was to prepare health care professionals and researchers to conduct patient-centered outcomes and comparative effectiveness research (CER). Substantial evidence gaps, heterogeneous health care systems, and decision-making challenges in the USA underscore the need for evidence-based strategies. Methods: We engaged five community-based health care organizations that serve diverse and underrepresented patient populations from Hawai’i to Minnesota. Each partner nominated two in-house scholars to participate in the 2-year program. The program focused on seven competencies pertinent to patient-centered outcomes and CER. It combined in-person and experiential learning with asynchronous, online education, and created adaptive, pragmatic learning opportunities and a Summer Institute. Metrics included the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI), a tool designed to assess research self-efficacy and clinical research skills across 10 domains. Results: We trained 31 scholars in 3 cohorts. Mean scores in nine domains of the CRAI improved; greater improvement was observed from the beginning to the midpoint than from the midpoint to conclusion of the program. Across all three cohorts, mean scores on 52 items (100%) increased (p ≤ 0.01), and 91% of scholars reported the program improved their skills moderately/significantly. Satisfaction with the program was high (91%). Conclusions: Investigators that conduct patient-centered outcomes and CER must know how to collaborate with regional health care systems to identify priorities; pose questions; design, conduct, and disseminate observational and experimental research; and transform knowledge into practical clinical applications. Training programs such as ours can facilitate such collaborations.

Activities used by evidence networks to promote evidence-informed decision-making in the health sector– a rapid evidence review

“…The 35 included articles were mainly in the United States ( n = 14) [ 16 – 29 ], Canada ( n = 5) [ 30 – 34 ], Sweden ( n = 2) [ 35 , 36 ], and in other single locations such as Australia, Brazil, Burundi, India, Kenya, and Nigeria, among others ( n = 14) [ 37 – 50 ]. Of those included, 16 articles were qualitative studies [ 18 , 20 , 25 , 28 , 31 – 36 , 44 , 45 , 47 – 50 ], nine were non-empirical papers [ 19 , 22 , 23 , 37 – 39 , 41 – 43 ], four were quantitative studies [ 26 , 27 , 29 , 40 ], and six were mixed methods [ 16 , 17 , 21 , 24 , 30 , 46 ]. Eleven studies reported a population of interest, which were mainly Indigenous groups [ 31 , 34 , 48 ], older adults [ 19 ], patients in patient group programmes [ 21 , 27 ], academic faculty and researchers [ 40 ], and mental health practitioners [ 16 ], among others.…”

“…The practical activities most frequently mentioned included the development of training programmes [ 17 , 19 , 29 , 35 , 44 ] as the primary focus, followed by community-based and stakeholder workshops [ 32 , 37 , 44 , 45 , 49 ] and the facilitation of online webinars, portal links, discussions, and engagement on social media platforms [ 38 , 41 , 43 , 48 ]. These activities were more common in topics such as community and rural health care [ 17 , 35 , 37 ], and policy research [ 41 , 43 , 45 ], across settings in the US [ 16 , 17 , 19 , 21 , 29 ], Brazil [ 45 ], Sub-Saharan Africa [ 43 ], Canada [ 32 ], Sweden [ 35 ], and the UK [ 49 ].…”

“…Five authors highlighted the importance of education and training in the successful implementation of activities [ 16 , 17 , 29 , 48 , 49 ]. For example, in the case of Indigenous ACCHO staff capacity, training played a pivotal role in not only enabling their active participation and collaboration in research, but also in empowering them to take an active role in identifying research questions and priorities, conducting research and evaluation activities, and translating findings into practice [ 48 ].…”

“…For example, in the case of Indigenous ACCHO staff capacity, training played a pivotal role in not only enabling their active participation and collaboration in research, but also in empowering them to take an active role in identifying research questions and priorities, conducting research and evaluation activities, and translating findings into practice [ 48 ]. Although online learning may be useful, the most important sources contributing to the development of research skills were recognised as individual project-based skill application, in-person learning, and peer networking [ 17 ].…”

“…To ensure mutual alignment and understanding of shared goals, the importance of conducting regular meetings was underscored as a means to promote transparency and cultivate a deeper level of inter-network trust [ 29 , 33 , 44 , 47 ]. To ensure the successful implementation of activities, alignment with the objectives and priorities of diverse stakeholders was imperative [ 17 ]. Additionally, informal meetings were highlighted as a way to offer researchers an opportunity to network with stakeholders such as policymakers, such meetings improved the potential for fostering partnerships and increased the likelihood of research findings being used by various stakeholders [ 44 ].…”