Faculty Collaboration Database

Building effective community-academic partnerships to improve health: a qualitative study of perspectives from communities. Acad Med 2001 Feb;76(2):166-72

Date

02/13/2001

Pubmed ID

11158838

DOI

10.1097/00001888-200102000-00016

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0035121665 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   77 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: To identify, through a qualitative study, community perspectives on the critical factors that facilitate the development, effectiveness, and sustainability of community-academic partnerships.

METHOD: Between June 1998 and April 1999, 25 semistructured interviews were conducted with community members who represented eight partnerships at five academic health centers. Content analysis and open coding were performed on the data, and patterns of ideas and concepts were categorized.

RESULTS: After review of the data, responses from three partnerships were excluded. Nine major themes that community respondents thought strongly influenced the effectiveness of community-academic partnerships emerged from respondents from the remaining five partnerships: (1) creation and nurturing of trust; (2) respect for a community's knowledge; (3) community-defined and prioritized needs and goals; (4) mutual division of roles and responsibilities; (5) continuous flexibility, compromise, and feedback; (6) strengthening of community capacity; (7) joint and equitable allocation of resources; (8) sustainability and community ownership; and (9) insufficient funding periods.

CONCLUSION: The themes that emerged from this study of the perceptions and experiences of the community partners in community-academic partnerships can be critical to further developing and evolving these partnerships.

Author List

Wolff M, Maurana CA

Author

Cheryl A. Maurana PhD Interim Provost, SVP Str Acad Ptnrshp, Dir, Prof in the Institute for Health and Humanity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Academic Medical Centers
Attitude
Community Participation
Health Care Rationing
Health Services Needs and Demand
Interviews as Topic
Ownership
Social Responsibility
United States