A stakeholder engagement strategy for an ongoing research program in rural dementia care: Stakeholder and researcher perspectives

Participatory research approaches have developed in response to the growing emphasis on translation of research evidence into practice. However, there are few published examples of stakeholder engagement strategies, and little guidance specific to larger ongoing research programs or those with a rur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2022-09, Vol.17 (9), p.e0274769-e0274769
Main Authors: Morgan, Debra, Kosteniuk, Julie, O'Connell, Megan E, Stewart, Norma J, Kirk, Andrew, Cammer, Allison, Dal Bello-Haas, Vanina, Minish, Duane P, Elliot, Valerie, Bayly, Melanie, Froehlich Chow, Amanda, Bracken, Joanne, Parrott, Edna, Bronner, Tanis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alzheimer's disease
Annual reports
Beliefs, opinions and attitudes
Biology and Life Sciences
Canada
Care and treatment
Collaboration
Councils
Dementia
Dementia disorders
Earth Sciences
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
Medical care
Medical research personnel
Medicine and Health Sciences
Memory
Methods
Participatory research
People and Places
Population density
Primary care
Qualitative analysis
Radar
Radar data
Research and Analysis Methods
Research design
Research methodology
Research programs
Researchers
Rural areas
Rural health
Social Sciences
Stakeholders
Statistical analysis
Strategic planning
Sustainability
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Summary:Participatory research approaches have developed in response to the growing emphasis on translation of research evidence into practice. However, there are few published examples of stakeholder engagement strategies, and little guidance specific to larger ongoing research programs or those with a rural focus. This paper describes the evolution, structure, and processes of an annual Rural Dementia Summit launched in 2008 as an engagement strategy for the Rural Dementia Action Research (RaDAR) program and ongoing for more than 10 years; and reports findings from a parallel mixed-methods study that includes stakeholder and researcher perspectives on the Summit’s value and impact. Twelve years of stakeholder evaluations were analyzed. Rating scale data were summarized with descriptive statistics; open-ended questions were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. A thematic analysis was also used to analyze interviews with RaDAR researchers. Rating scale data showed high stakeholder satisfaction with all aspects of the Summit. Five themes were identified in the qualitative data: hearing diverse perspectives, building connections, collaborating for change, developing research and practice capacity, and leaving recharged. Five themes were identified in the researcher data: impact on development as a researcher, understanding stakeholder needs, informing research design, deepening commitment to rural dementia research, and building a culture of engagement. These findings reflect the key principles and impacts of stakeholder engagement reported in the literature. Additional findings include the value stakeholders place on connecting with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, how the Summit was revitalizing, and how it developed stakeholder capacity to support change in their communities. Findings indicate that the Summit has developed into a community of practice where people with a common interest come together to learn and collaborate to improve rural dementia care. The Summit’s success and sustainability are linked to RaDAR’s responsiveness to stakeholder needs, the trust that has been established, and the value that stakeholders and researchers find in their participation.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0274769