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. 2022 Jun;25(3):1004-1015.
doi: 10.1111/hex.13445. Epub 2022 Feb 11.

The involvement matrix as a framework for involving youth with severe communication disabilities in developing health education materials

Shakila Dada  1 , Adele May  1 , Kirsty Bastable  1 , Alecia Samuels  1 , Kerstin Tönsing  1 , Jenny Wilder  1   2 , Maureen Casey  1 , Constance Ntuli  1 , Vasu Reddy  3
Affiliations

The involvement matrix as a framework for involving youth with severe communication disabilities in developing health education materials

Shakila Dada et al. Health Expect. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Involving youth with severe communication disabilities in health research is foregrounded in a perspective of rights and participation. Researchers aligned with a participatory and inclusive research agenda recommend that involving youth in health research should be a deliberate and well-planned process. However, limited examples exist of how researchers can facilitate the involvement of youth with severe communication disabilities in research projects.

Method: The aim of this paper was to describe the application of the Involvement Matrix as a conceptual framework to guide the three phases of a research project with youth with severe communication disabilities.

Results: Six youth aged 19-34 years consented to be involved in the project. All youth had a severe communication disability and used augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to support their involvement in the research project. The Involvement Matrix provided a structure to delineate four involvement roles in three research phases: In Phase 1, youth were listeners to research information and advisors in the needs analysis. In Phase 2, as advisors and decision-makers, youth provided their opinions on selecting picture communication symbols for health materials. In Phase 3, as partners, they were copresenters at an online youth forum.

Conclusion: The Involvement Matrix was used to plan and implement the involvement of youth with severe communication disabilities in codeveloping health materials for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Involvement Matrix can be applied together with AAC to enable meaningful involvement of youth in a health research project as listeners, advisors, decision-makers and partners.

Patient or public contribution: This study project was codeveloped with youth with severe communication disabilities who use AAC in South Africa. A person with lived experience was involved as an advisor to the health material development process and in the drafting of the manuscript.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Involvement Matrix; augmentative and alternative communication; engagement; involvement; severe communication disabilities; youth.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An overview of the main research project. A summary of Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the study is shown. It also shows the application of the Involvement Matrix and describes the involvement role of youth who use AAC in the current study. AAC, augmentative and alternative communication
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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