. 2023 Dec 22;21(1):139.

doi: 10.1186/s12961-023-00958-y.

A scoping review of the globally available tools for assessing health research partnership outcomes and impacts

Kelly J Mrklas^{1

2}, Jamie M Boyd³, Sumair Shergill⁴, Sera Merali⁵, Masood Khan⁶, Cheryl Moser⁶, Lorelli Nowell⁷, Amelia Goertzen⁸, Liam Swain⁹, Lisa M Pfadenhauer^{10

11}, Kathryn M Sibley^{6

12}, Mathew Vis-Dunbar¹³, Michael D Hill^{9

14

15}, Shelley Raffin-Bouchal⁷, Marcello Tonelli^{16

17}, Ian D Graham^{18

19}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3D10-3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada. kjdurego@ucalgary.ca.
² Strategic Clinical Networks™, Provincial Clinical Excellence, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada. kjdurego@ucalgary.ca.
³ Knowledge Translation Program, St Michael's Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁵ Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁶ Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
⁷ Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁸ Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
⁹ Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3D10-3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
¹⁰ Institute for Medical Information Processing, and Epidemiology-IBE, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität Munich, Munich, Germany.
¹¹ Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany.
¹² George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
¹³ University of British Columbia-Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
¹⁴ Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Medicine and Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁵ Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁶ Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁷ Office of the Vice-President (Research), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁸ Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
¹⁹ Schools of Epidemiology and Public Health and Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

PMID: 38129871
PMCID: PMC10740226
DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-00958-y

A scoping review of the globally available tools for assessing health research partnership outcomes and impacts

Kelly J Mrklas et al. Health Res Policy Syst. 2023.

. 2023 Dec 22;21(1):139.

doi: 10.1186/s12961-023-00958-y.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3D10-3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada. kjdurego@ucalgary.ca.
² Strategic Clinical Networks™, Provincial Clinical Excellence, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada. kjdurego@ucalgary.ca.
³ Knowledge Translation Program, St Michael's Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁵ Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁶ Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
⁷ Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁸ Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
⁹ Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3D10-3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
¹⁰ Institute for Medical Information Processing, and Epidemiology-IBE, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität Munich, Munich, Germany.
¹¹ Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany.
¹² George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
¹³ University of British Columbia-Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
¹⁴ Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Medicine and Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁵ Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁶ Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁷ Office of the Vice-President (Research), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹⁸ Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
¹⁹ Schools of Epidemiology and Public Health and Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

PMID: 38129871
PMCID: PMC10740226
DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-00958-y

Abstract

Background: Health research partnership approaches have grown in popularity over the past decade, but the systematic evaluation of their outcomes and impacts has not kept equal pace. Identifying partnership assessment tools and key partnership characteristics is needed to advance partnerships, partnership measurement, and the assessment of their outcomes and impacts through systematic study.

Objective: To locate and identify globally available tools for assessing the outcomes and impacts of health research partnerships.

Methods: We searched four electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL + , PsychINFO) with an a priori strategy from inception to June 2021, without limits. We screened studies independently and in duplicate, keeping only those involving a health research partnership and the development, use and/or assessment of tools to evaluate partnership outcomes and impacts. Reviewer disagreements were resolved by consensus. Study, tool and partnership characteristics, and emerging research questions, gaps and key recommendations were synthesized using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Results: We screened 36 027 de-duplicated citations, reviewed 2784 papers in full text, and kept 166 studies and three companion reports. Most studies originated in North America and were published in English after 2015. Most of the 205 tools we identified were questionnaires and surveys targeting researchers, patients and public/community members. While tools were comprehensive and usable, most were designed for single use and lacked validity or reliability evidence. Challenges associated with the interchange and definition of terms (i.e., outcomes, impacts, tool type) were common and may obscure partnership measurement and comparison. Very few of the tools identified in this study overlapped with tools identified by other, similar reviews. Partnership tool development, refinement and evaluation, including tool measurement and optimization, are key areas for future tools-related research.

Conclusion: This large scoping review identified numerous, single-use tools that require further development and testing to improve their psychometric and scientific qualities. The review also confirmed that the health partnership research domain and its measurement tools are still nascent and actively evolving. Dedicated efforts and resources are required to better understand health research partnerships, partnership optimization and partnership measurement and evaluation using valid, reliable and practical tools that meet partners' needs.

Keywords: Community-based participatory research; Evaluation tools; Health research partnerships; Impacts; Integrated knowledge translation; Outcomes; Scoping review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

K.J.M., J.M.B., S.S., S.M., M.K., C.M., L.N., A.G., L.S., L.M.P., K.M.S., M.V.D., S.R.B. and C.T. have no competing interests to declare. M.D.H. is the medical director (Stroke) for the Cardiovascular and Stroke Strategic Clinical Network™ at Alberta Health Services. I.D.G. holds the position of scientific director for the Integrated Knowledge Translation Research Network (IKTRN).

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Scoping review PRISMA study flow diagram

**Fig. 2**
Health sub-domains and key sub-domain cluster. *where necessary, ≧ 1 sub-domain code per study was allowed, resulting in 221 sub-domain codes n = 166 studies. *STBBI* sexually transmitted and blood borne infections, KT knowledge translation, *IKT* integrated knowledge translation, *HTA* health technology assessment

**Fig. 3**
Health research partnership tool evaluation criteria scores (n = 205* tool scores). *Studies reporting multi-tools intended for simultaneous use were captured as toolkits and given a single, combined score

**Fig. 4**
Health research partnership tool evaluation criteria scores, by domain

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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A scoping review of the globally available tools for assessing health research partnership outcomes and impacts

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A scoping review of the globally available tools for assessing health research partnership outcomes and impacts

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