The following is a summary of “Impact of Patient and Family Engagement in Child Health Research: A Scoping Review,” published in the FEBRUARY 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Vanderhout, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to investigate the effects of involving patients and families in child health research on the research process, research teams, and patient and family partners.
Using the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, a scoping study was carried out. Studies written in English were considered if they discussed ≥1 benefit of patient and family participation in child health research (age 18 years), researchers, or patient and family partners. Two separate extractors each retrieved data.
Out of the 7,688 studies identified, only 25 met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies (n = 24, 96%) focused on the effects of patient and family engagement on the research process, 11 studies (44%) analyzed its impact on the research team, and 17 studies (68%) examined its impact on patient and family partners. Only 11 studies (44%) had the primary objective of determining the impact of patient engagement, and no study utilized an evaluation tool.
Patient and family engagement in child health research can improve the relevance and feasibility of research while empowering researchers and patient partners. However, the measurement and reporting of its impact are infrequent. A systematic and standardized approach was required to evaluate the engagement process to comprehend how, when, and why to involve patients and families in research.