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2015 HSR&D/QUERI National Conference Abstract


2013 — Engaging Veterans across the Research Continuum

Zickmund SL, CHERP VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System; Helfand M, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care; Hamilton AB, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy; Ho PM, Center for Veteran Centric and Value Drive Care; Tanaka M, Health Services Research and Development Central Office ;

Workshop Objectives:
At the request of the HSR&D Director, the Veteran Engagement Workgroup was formed with a wide range of VA investigators and Veterans. The objectives of the workgroup are to (1) identify best practices for engaging Veterans in research agenda-setting, implementation, and evaluation; and (2) prepare guidelines for the HSR&D Director that advise how HSR&D-funded research studies should operationalize Veteran engagement across the research continuum. Three subgroups are tasked to identify and document current best practices in Veteran engagement in research projects, COIN center activities, and in the community, as well as make suggestions drawn from other agencies, such as the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The objectives of the proposed workshop are to (1) present the current progress in guideline development and knowledge-synthesis for enhancing Veteran engagement in HSR&D research, (2) seek feedback from HSR&D research community, and (3) identify additional best practices for Veteran engagement in HSR&D research.

Activities:
In this proposed panel discussion session, we will have two sections: the workgroup’s presentation (60 minutes) and discussion with the audience (30 minutes). The workgroup will first present an overview of the conceptual framework that guides the workgroup’s activities. Then, the chair of the overall workgroup and chair of the three subgroups will respectively present the current status of the guideline development. The first subgroup will describe a plan to create a repository of rich qualitative data that can be used to incorporate Veterans’ perspectives into the development of research questions and the design of research studies. The second subgroup will discuss proposing guidelines for increasing Veteran’s input at the proposal level, including adding Veterans to the study team, requiring pre-submission feedback from Veterans about the appropriateness of a study’s aims and methods, as well as listing “Veteran engagement” as one of research application review criteria. The third subgroup will identify approaches to engage Veterans at the COIN center level and identify barriers and facilitators to Veteran’s involvement in center activities. The panel discussion will conclude with discussion about the workgroup’s achievements and future plans for the guideline development.

Target Audience:
HSRD/QUERI researchers in general.

Assumed Audience Familiarity with Topic:
Some familiarity with participatory planning, qualitative research methods