Meaningful Engagement of Lived Experience Experts in Healthcare Research
Rose Kalemba & Preeti Panda, MD | September 22 | 1:45-2:45 pm
Topic: Research, Healthcare | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Research on the intersections of health and human trafficking have been historically planned and conducted without input from individuals with lived experience. Engagement of individuals with lived experience in anti-trafficking initiatives has been increasingly recognized as a best practice across a variety of sectors, and is advocated for as a best practice by survivor-led organizations. Researchers in health-related fields should seek to meaningfully engage individuals with lived experience throughout the research process to improve the impact of their work and maximize mutual benefit. This presentation will introduce the concept of meaningful engagement of lived experience experts in healthcare related research. Presenters will provide a brief overview of healthcare research including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods study designs. Presenters will introduce concepts of community-engaged research, community based participatory research, and community advisory boards and will describe how lived experience experts can be incorporated in various phases of the research process. The spectrum of lived experience involvement will be presented as it pertains to health-related research (National Survivor Network, 2023). Best practices of incorporating survivors into study teams will be highlighted. Presenters will describe a case study of a retrospective hospital database study that incorporated a community advisory board. The presentation will conclude with tangible actions researchers can take to incorporate survivors into study teams and thereby increase impact of the research and mutual benefit for both lived experience experts and research communities. Participants will be provided with a worksheet to facilitate considerations of meaningful engagement in various stages of the research process.
Presentation Objectives:
· Discuss how researchers in healthcare fields can involve experts with lived experience throughout the research process
· Present best practices in meaningfully engaging experts with lived experience to create mutually beneficial partnerships
· Describe tangible actions health researchers can take when planning research initiatives and building budgets for funding applications