Building Researcher Capacity for Patient Engagement in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Evaluation of PREPARE

Abstract Patients and members of the public can improve health research by sharing their lived experience and helping researchers make studies more relevant and useful. Researchers, however, may not always have practical training in how to work with patients as research partners. We developed PREPARE, a training program designed to help researchers build these skills. We first interviewed 16 researchers and surveyed researchers across several academic and health-system settings to understand their experiences, learning needs, and preferences for training. Patient partners and other stakeholders helped refine the needs assessment and shape the training. We then developed two interactive workshops that combined practical examples, case discussions, and teaching with patient experts. Twenty-one people attended the pilot workshops. Most had not previously received formal training in patient engagement, and participants generally rated the workshop structure and delivery positively. Self-reported confidence was higher after the workshop sessions. Because this was a small pilot and participants were assessed only immediately after training, we do not know whether these changes lasted or changed how researchers later worked with patient partners. PREPARE provides an example of how institutions can use local needs and patient-partner input to develop practical researcher training and ongoing support for meaningful patient engagement.