Community engagement and involvement in Ghana: conversations with community stakeholders to inform surgical research

Evidence in the literature shows that research that was designed and implemented with the help of patients or other members of the community affected by the study, is more likely to be relevant to the needs of the end user. This can have positive effects on the quality and impact of the study. However, working collaboratively with patient or public contributors can have certain challenges, especially in low- and middle- income countries. For example, factors such as different languages or dialects, religious beliefs, health beliefs, level of literacy, understanding of research, and poverty can potentially make it more difficult for researchers to reach, communicate and involve relevant members of the public. On top of this, the evidence base for successfully implementing these so-called community engagement and involvement activities is sparse, making it more challenging for researchers to learn from others’ experiences.