‘Motivating Implicit Chinese to Express Themselves Is the Biggest Barrier’
A Qualitative Study of Chinese Researchers' Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators to Patient Engagement in Research
Bibliographic Data
BACKGROUND: Patient Engagement in Research (PER) has demonstrated benefits for patients, researchers and research outcomes. However, China lacks substantial experience in implementing PER. The implementation of PER in China faces unique challenges due to social-cultural differences. This study explores the perspectives of Chinese researchers to identify barriers and facilitators, aiming to guide future PER initiatives and enhance the role of patients in research. METHOD: Purposive sampling was employed to recruit clinical researchers with diverse healthcare backgrounds in China. Semi-structured interviews, conducted by a qualified researcher, followed interview guidelines derived from a literature review and pilot study modifications. Thematic analysis was applied using QSR Nvivo 8.0. RESULTS: A total of 13 participants were included. Five main themes were identified from interview: (1) selection of patients for research engagement, (2) strategies to alleviate the patient burden in implementing PER, (3) strategies to encourage patients for active expression, (4) benefits to attract patient engagement and (5) researcher's preparation. CONCLUSION: The cultural trait of 'reservedness' in Chinese culture hinders active expression by patients in the research engagement process. Researchers tend to recruit patients with specific characteristics and emphasize the importance of aligning benefits with patient values to motivate engagement. Addressing patient burden is crucial, and researchers should be well-prepared before PER. These findings underscore the necessity of adopting culturally adapted strategies in PER to effectively address specific challenges. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The public participated in the interpretation of the interview results, enriching our understanding of the results
China · Medical education · Perception · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Sociology · Ethics in Clinical Research · Medicine · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare · Psychology
Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (Coreq)
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Engaging youth in research planning, design and execution
Enhancing researcher capacity to engage youth in research
Operationalizing the principles of patient engagement through a Patient Advisory Council
Framework for enhancing clinical practice guidelines through continuous patient engagement
Preparing for patient partnership
A qualitative evaluation of coproduction of research
Patient and service user engagement in research
Supporting quality public and patient engagement in health system organizations
Shortening and validation of the Patient Engagement In Research Scale (Peirs) for measuring meaningful patient and family caregiver engagement
Patient stakeholder engagement in research
Diversity in patient and public involvement in healthcare research and education—Realising the potential
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |