TY - JOUR
T1 - Digital and virtual strategies to advance community stakeholder engagement in research during COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Byiringiro, Samuel
AU - Lacanienta, Cyd
AU - Clark, Roger
AU - Evans, Crystal
AU - Stevens, Sarah
AU - Reese, Melanie
AU - Ouyang, Pamela
AU - Terkowitz, Mia
AU - Weston, Christine
AU - Galiatsatos, Panagis
AU - Guerrero Vazquez, Monica
AU - Luthardt, Frederick W.
AU - Dennison Himmelfarb, Cheryl R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©
PY - 2022/8/30
Y1 - 2022/8/30
N2 - Despite the adversity presented by COVID-19 pandemic, it also pushed for experimenting with innovative strategies for community engagement. The Community Research Advisory Council (C-RAC) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), is an initiative to promote community engagement in research. COVID-19 rendered it impossible for C-RAC to conduct its meetings all of which have historically been in person. We describe the experience of advancing the work of the C-RAC during COVID-19 using digital and virtual strategies. Since March 2020, C-RAC transitioned from in person to virtual meetings. The needs assessment was conducted among C-RAC members, and individualized solutions provided for a successful virtual engagement. The usual working schedule was altered to respond to COVID-19 and promote community engaged research. Attendance to C-RAC meetings before and after the transition to virtual operation increased from 69% to 76% among C-RAC members from the community. In addition, the C-RAC launched new initiatives and in eighteen months since January 2020, it conducted 50 highly rated research reviews for 20 research teams. The experience of the C-RAC demonstrates that when community needs are assessed and addressed, and technical support is provided, digital strategies can lead to greater community collaborations.
AB - Despite the adversity presented by COVID-19 pandemic, it also pushed for experimenting with innovative strategies for community engagement. The Community Research Advisory Council (C-RAC) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), is an initiative to promote community engagement in research. COVID-19 rendered it impossible for C-RAC to conduct its meetings all of which have historically been in person. We describe the experience of advancing the work of the C-RAC during COVID-19 using digital and virtual strategies. Since March 2020, C-RAC transitioned from in person to virtual meetings. The needs assessment was conducted among C-RAC members, and individualized solutions provided for a successful virtual engagement. The usual working schedule was altered to respond to COVID-19 and promote community engaged research. Attendance to C-RAC meetings before and after the transition to virtual operation increased from 69% to 76% among C-RAC members from the community. In addition, the C-RAC launched new initiatives and in eighteen months since January 2020, it conducted 50 highly rated research reviews for 20 research teams. The experience of the C-RAC demonstrates that when community needs are assessed and addressed, and technical support is provided, digital strategies can lead to greater community collaborations.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Keywords: Community engagement
KW - community stakeholders
KW - community-engaged research
KW - virtual engagement
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138663458&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85138663458&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/cts.2022.457
DO - 10.1017/cts.2022.457
M3 - Article
C2 - 36285018
AN - SCOPUS:85138663458
SN - 2059-8661
VL - 6
JO - Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
JF - Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
IS - 1
M1 - e121
ER -