Participatory Approaches for Study Design and Analysis in Dissemination and Implementation Research

Abstract This chapter seeks to demonstrate the value added from community participation to the research process itself. It shows how Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods are useful in the dissemination and implementation (D&I) of research findings and some of the lessons from CBPR for D&I research. It discusses challenges that can play out in participatory research, followed by a more detailed examination of the specific ways in which a CBPR approach can enhance the D&I of research findings through collaborative design, analysis, dissemination, and research translation. A case study of a community-university-health department CBPR project that endeavored to study and improve the health and working conditions of restaurant workers in San Francisco's Chinatown District is presented. Then, some of the methods used to involve all partners in study design, data analysis, and translation of findings into action, as well as some of the benefits of doing so, are discussed. Finally, key lessons learned, through this and other CBPR efforts, are shared, and their implications for improving the breadth and effectiveness of the critical dissemination and implementation phases of research are summarized.