UCL Arts and Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
UCL Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK.
Int J Equity Health. 2024 Jul 4;23(1):135. doi: 10.1186/s12939-024-02216-1.
The concept of collaborative approaches involves community residents in joint decision-making processes to maintain or enhance their material and social conditions. During COVID-19, public services saw the benefits of actively collaborating with communities and involving residents in decision-making processes. As communities have resources and assets, they are well-placed to contribute to developing local health and wellbeing initiatives. An interdisciplinary and nationally funded three-phase research programme, "Mobilising community assets to tackle health inequalities", was established with the objective of utilising local, cultural, and natural assets to support health and wellbeing. The current study aimed to synthesise evidence collected by research teams awarded funding in phase one of the programme, comprising academic and non-academic, health and social care, voluntary and community partners.
Ten online focus groups were conducted with research teams from across the UK exploring the successes and challenges of partnership working to tackle health inequalities using collaborative approaches to community-based research. Eight focus group questions were split between partnership working and health inequalities.
Thematic and content analysis produced 185 subthemes from which 12 themes were identified. Major themes representing an above average number of coded responses were research evidence; funding; relationships with partners; health inequalities and deprivation; community involvement; and health service and integrated care systems. Minor themes were link workers and social prescribing; training and support; place-based factors; longevity of programmes; setting up and scaling up programmes; and mental health.
Successes included employing practice-based and arts-based methods, being part of a research project for those not normally involved in research, sharing funding democratically, building on established relationships, and the vital role that local assets play in involving communities. Challenges involved a lack of sustainable financial support, the short-term nature of funding, inconsistencies in reaching the poorest people, obtaining the right sort of research evidence, making sufficient research progress, building relationships with already over-burdened health care staff, and redressing the balance of power in favour of communities. Despite the challenges, participants were mainly optimistic that collective approaches and meaningful co-production would create opportunities for future research partnerships with communities.
合作方法的概念涉及社区居民共同参与决策过程，以维持或提高他们的物质和社会条件。在 COVID-19 期间，公共服务部门看到了与社区积极合作并让居民参与决策过程的好处。由于社区拥有资源和资产，他们非常适合为制定当地健康和福利倡议做出贡献。一个跨学科和国家资助的三阶段研究计划“动员社区资产解决健康不平等问题”成立了，目的是利用当地、文化和自然资产来支持健康和福利。本研究旨在综合第一阶段研究团队收集的证据，这些团队由学术和非学术、卫生和社会保健、志愿和社区合作伙伴组成。
在英国各地进行了 10 次在线焦点小组，与研究团队探讨了使用基于社区的合作方法解决健康不平等问题的合作工作的成功和挑战。8 个焦点小组问题分为伙伴关系工作和健康不平等。
主题和内容分析从 185 个子主题中产生了 12 个主题。代表编码回复数量超过平均水平的主要主题是研究证据；资金；与合作伙伴的关系；健康不平等和贫困；社区参与；以及卫生服务和综合保健系统。次要主题是联络人员和社会处方；培训和支持；基于地点的因素；方案的持久性；方案的设立和扩大；以及心理健康。
成功之处包括采用基于实践和基于艺术的方法、为那些通常不参与研究的人参与研究项目、民主分享资金、在现有关系的基础上发展、以及当地资产在社区参与方面发挥的重要作用。挑战包括缺乏可持续的财政支持、资金的短期性质、无法接触到最贫困的人、获得正确类型的研究证据、取得足够的研究进展、与已经负担过重的医疗保健人员建立关系，以及扭转有利于社区的权力平衡。尽管存在挑战，但参与者主要乐观地认为，集体方法和有意义的共同创作将为未来与社区的研究伙伴关系创造机会。
