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

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