Participatory Approaches to Qualitative Research (PAQ): Comparing Two Approaches to Patient, Public and Clinician Involvement in Qualitative Research

This stratified randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) is to test Consultative patient, public and clinician involvement (PPCI) in research against Collaborative PPCI in the context of three real-world qualitative research studies. Qualitative research methods can reveal insights into complex health phenomena, such as access to health services, clinician-patient communication, implementation research, and organizational culture and improvement. PPCI has also been acknowledged as indispensable in enhancing the validity, rigor and credibility of research.

The research team developed detailed guides for two approaches to PPCI throughout the lifetime of qualitative research projects, including 1) design, 2) data collection, 3) analysis and 4) dissemination. While there is a strong theoretical rationale that participatory research processes like Consultative PPCI may improve partner engagement more than consultative PPCI, evidence from experimental studies is lacking.

Given this gap, the research question is: How does a Consultative PPCI approach to involvement in research compared to a Collaborative PPCI approach in increasing engagement and partnership trust in research, particularly among historically underrepresented groups?

The study team hypothesizes Collaborative PPCI will result in higher partner-reported engagement, trust and patient-centeredness of research than Consultative PPCI.

Study Aims:

1. To compare the effectiveness of Consultative PPCI versus Collaborative PPCI on partner engagement in research (primary outcome), partnership trust (secondary outcome).
2. To use mixed methods to determine whether stakeholder engagement in research and partnership trust vary based on stakeholder characteristics.
3. To evaluate the extent to which engagement and partnership trust are mediated by engagement experience and group dynamics.

The research team will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the relative effectiveness of these PPCI approaches across three real-world qualitative studies. Participants will be randomly assigned to Consultative or Collaborative PPCI using a stratified approach with three embedded qualitative studies as strata. The core function of Collaborative PPCI is to test a simple, collaborative partner engagement model, while the core function of Consultative PPCI is to test the traditional consultative partner engagement model. The researchers are are operationalizing Consultative PPCI with Community Advisory Boards (CAB) and Collaborative PPCI with a new approach called the Participatory Approach to Qualitative Research (PAQ). The study team selected an RCT with stratified randomization to evaluate the research question in the context of three diverse topic areas, to maintain separate Consultative and Collaborative study groups of reasonable size within each strata (n=10 for each study's CAB or PAQ group, for a total of 60 participants), and to ultimately increase generalizability of results. Following randomization, the researchers will evaluate for balance across groups in participant age, race, ethnicity, rurality and composite socioeconomic status (comprising education and income). The objectives, interventions and outcomes will be measured at the individual participant level. The RCT will be conducted over an 18-month period. The PAQ and CAB arms will have separate professional research staff facilitators, both experienced in CAB and PAQ facilitation; these facilitators will be involved in all three project strata. Prior to study start, the research team will standardize Consultative and Collaborative PPCI training.