Community Engagement
Community Review Board
The Community Review Board (CRB) is a specialized consultation session for health researchers developing community- or patient-centered research proposals. Researchers conducting studies connected to the role of communities and patients through PCORI or other patient-centered outcomes funding sources have found the input of community members useful. Community members serve as experts who provide feedback on various aspects of a proposed or on-going research project, including study design; type of intervention; channels and materials for communication and dissemination; participant recruitment strategies; sharing learning with the community; and/or applying research findings to practice.
Health researchers who have used our community review board
- An emergency department physician who was interested in receiving feedback on a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grant application to assess patient preferences for intensive care unit treatment compared to care provided in hospital wards. His question to the Community Review Board was, “How can patients be involved in development of patient information and decisions aids?”
- An asthma researcher who wanted to test whether a drug usually associated with cholesterol regulation was effective in reducing severe asthma. His question to the Community Review Board was, “How do asthma patients view study recruitment materials and potential barriers to participation in clinical trials?”
Why use a community review board?
- Immediate feedback on your research proposal through a formal, time-limited panel of community members and experts without the complexity of multiple meetings.
- Suggestions on how to make your proposal more patient-engaged and patient-centered.
We can provide ideas on how to
- Identify research topics that are relevant to community needs.
- Identify a sample that is representative of women and underrepresented cultural and linguistic groups.
- Identify needs assessment and/or intervention strategies that are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
- Get direct feedback on project feasibility and appropriateness in regard to cultural nuances and historical issues relevant to the community of interest.
- Look for project impact.
- Identify community partners to assist in research design, implementation, or evaluation.