An evaluation of stakeholder engagement in comparative effectiveness research: lessons learned from SWOG S1415CD:Supplementary material

<p>Aim: Stakeholder engagement is central to comparative effectiveness research yet there are gaps in</p> <p>definitions of success. We used a framework developed by Lavallee et al. defining effective engagement</p> <p>criteria to evaluate stakeholder engagement during a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial. Methods: Semistructured</p> <p>interviews were developed from the framework and completed to learn about members’</p> <p>experiences. Interviews were analyzed in a deductive approach for themes related to the effective</p> <p>engagement criteria. Results: Thirteen members participated and described: respect for ideas, time to</p> <p>achieve consensus, access to information and continuous feedback as areas of effective engagement.</p> <p>The primary criticism was lack of diversity. Discussion: Feedback was positive, particularly among themes</p> <p>of respect, trust and competence, and led to development of a list of best practices for engagement.</p> <p>The framework was successful for evaluating engagement. Conclusion: Standardized frameworks allow</p> <p>studies to formally evaluate their stakeholder engagement approach and develop best practices for future</p> <p>research.</p>