273 Evaluating a Newly Formed Community and Patient Advisory Board to Promote Equity and Inclusivity in Clinical and Translational Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: At UNC-Chapel Hill’s CTSA hub – the NC Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS) – we conducted a participatory evaluation of a new community and patient advisory board (CPAB) to assess member experiences, and the outcomes and early impacts of their work on institutional programming related to equity and inclusivity in research. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: NC TraCS staff conducted informal interviews with CPAB members to discuss how they envision success in their work, ideas for measuring progress towards their goals, and how they have seen similar work measured by others. These conversations guided the development of outcomes, indicators, and data collection methods for the CPAB evaluation plan. CPAB member satisfaction, experiences, and perceptions of accomplishments were assessed via an online survey. Concurrently, an Outcome Harvesting approach was used, through which NC TraCS staff retrospectively identified key outcomes of the CPAB’s work through team discussion of programmatic changes and review of internal documents and data. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: CPAB members (n=10) were highly satisfied with meetings, group dynamics, activities and accomplishments, and 90% of members felt that NC TraCS was very responsive to their feedback. Key outcomes included: 1) co-creating a shared vision, goals, and operational policies for the CPAB; 2) co-developing a training series for research teams about patient and community engagement; 3) disseminating best practices for co-developing advisory boards; 4) providing guidance to improve NC TraCS consultations, services, and resources related to enhancing equitable participation in research (e.g., developing an Equity in Research Framework); and 5) contributing to institutional initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (e.g., improving compensation processes for research participants and partners). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Evaluations of CPABs often focus on process measures, while assessments of outcomes and impacts are lacking. Our evaluation data highlight the early outcomes and value of a newly formed CPAB. Furthermore, our approach can inform the creation and evaluation of equity-focused advisory boards within other research institutions.