Abstract
ObjectivesTo identify a broad range of research priorities to inform the studies seeking to improve population health outcomes based on the engagement of diverse stakeholders.MethodsA multi-step, participatory and mixed-methods approach was adopted to solicit and structure the investigative themes from diverse stakeholders. The priority setting exercise involved four key phases: (1) feedback from community leadership; (2) interim ranking survey and focus group discussions during the population health symposium; (3) individual in-depth interviews with stakeholders in the community; and (4) synthesis of the research priorities from the multistep process.ResultsDiverse stakeholders in Singapore, comprising community partnership leaders, health care and social service providers, users of population health services, patients and caregivers, participated in the research priority setting exercise. Initial 14 priorities were identified from six community leadership feedback, 42 survey responses, two focus groups (n = 16) and 95 in-depth interviews. The final integrated research agenda identified six priorities: empower residents and patients to take charge of their health; improve care transition and management through relationship building and communication; enhance health-social care interface; improve respite care services for long-term caregivers; develop primary care as a driving force for care integration; and capacity building for service providers. Selected research questions in each priority area were also generated to develop novel models of care, foster collaboration, implement optimal services and enhance understanding of the end users’ care needs.ConclusionsThis study illuminates that greater community engagement in research priority setting for population health can facilitate the formulation of evidence-based research agendas that matter to the care providers and service users in the community. The outcomes derived from this exercise will help focus researchers’ efforts through which meaningful gains can be made for population health.
Highlights
There is a growing recognition of the importance of community involvement in setting the strategic directions of population health research agendas
Initial 14 priorities were identified from six community leadership feedback, 42 survey responses, two focus groups (n = 16) and 95 in-depth interviews
This study illuminates that greater community engagement in research priority setting for population health can facilitate the formulation of evidence-based research agendas that matter to the care providers and service users in the community
Summary
There is a growing recognition of the importance of community involvement in setting the strategic directions of population health research agendas. The role of the community and public (e.g. patients, residents, care providers) has been restricted to being end users and beneficiaries of health and social research whereas decision-making on what research is conducted has been the domain of a small group of experts, mainly researchers. This clear task division seems evident in clinical research in general but it can be observed in population health research. Working collaboratively with patients in clinical research can lead to better understanding of healthcare services and treatments pertaining to particular health conditions [9, 10]
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