Contextualizing barriers and facilitators to scaling community-engaged research transformation at a historically black medical school

Abstract

Introduction: Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) embodies an applied definition of community engagement advanced over four decades. The increased demand for community collaboration requires attention to the institutional contexts supporting community-engaged research. MSM partnered with the University of New Mexico Center for Participatory Research for the Engage for Equity (E2) PLUS Project to assess, ideate, and consider existing and recommended institutional supports for community-engaged research. Methods: MSM assembled a community-campus Champion Team. The team coordinated virtual workshops with 18 community and academic research partners, facilitated four interviews of executive leaders and two focus groups (researchers/research staff and patients/community members, respectively) moderated by UNM-CPR. Analyses of the transcripts were conducted using an inductive and deductive process. Once the themes were identified, the qualitative summaries were shared with the Champion Team to verify and discuss implications for action and institutional improvements. Results: Institutional strengths and opportunities for systemic change were aligned with equity indicators (power and control, decision-making, and influence) and contextual factors (history, trust, and relationship building) of The continuum of community engagement in research. Institutional advances include community-engagement added as the fourth pillar of the institution's strategic plan. Action strategies include 1) development a research navigation system to address community-campus research partnership administrative challenges and 2) an academy to build the capacities of community/patient partners to independently acquire, manage, and sustain grants and negotiate equity in dissemination of research. Conclusions: MSM has leveraged E2 PLUS to identify systems improvements necessary to ensure that community/patient-centered research and partnerships are amplified and sustained.