Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives

BackgroundForming community academic partnerships (CAPs) can increase the applicability, translation, and dissemination of implementation research focused on addressing health inequities within the community setting. We aimed to explore community and academic partners’ perspectives on their particip...

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Main Authors: Ariana Naaseh, Meera Muthukrishnan, Isabel Temosihue, Erin L. Linnenbringer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1569414/full
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author Ariana Naaseh
Meera Muthukrishnan
Isabel Temosihue
Erin L. Linnenbringer
author_facet Ariana Naaseh
Meera Muthukrishnan
Isabel Temosihue
Erin L. Linnenbringer
author_sort Ariana Naaseh
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundForming community academic partnerships (CAPs) can increase the applicability, translation, and dissemination of implementation research focused on addressing health inequities within the community setting. We aimed to explore community and academic partners’ perspectives on their participation in a novel, multi-disciplinary cancer genetic equity CAP focused on developing a multi-level intervention for breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreas cancers.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with CAP members. Questions addressed partners’ motivations for participation in the CAP, feedback about the partnership, and opportunities for future CAPs. All interviews were audio-recorded, de-identified, transcribed, and then coded inductively by 2 analysts to identify relevant themes.Results8 CAP members participated. We identified four main themes including motivations to participate and continue engagement in the CAP, perceived CAP successes, perceived CAP challenges, and suggestions and opportunities for improvement. Participants described a variety of motivations, including learning more about cancer genetics and helping patients and communities. Participants valued the multi-disciplinary collaboration and having facilitated partnership discussions. Challenges included ambiguity of expectations for roles and differing perspectives between providers and community members, sometimes leading to frustrations in discussing solutions to potential barriers. Participants described several suggestions for improving future partnerships, such as more clearly defining expectations for participant roles, being able to create a strong vision and targeted approach, bringing their counterparts into clinical and community spaces to better share differing perspectives, and involving leadership stakeholders in the partnership to help address healthcare system barriers.DiscussionOverall, community and academic members were motivated to participate and engage in a CAP to improve cancer genetic equity.
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spelling doaj-art-56e08dd326c740fbb32f5dede16fe4662025-08-20T02:01:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-05-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15694141569414Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectivesAriana NaasehMeera MuthukrishnanIsabel TemosihueErin L. LinnenbringerBackgroundForming community academic partnerships (CAPs) can increase the applicability, translation, and dissemination of implementation research focused on addressing health inequities within the community setting. We aimed to explore community and academic partners’ perspectives on their participation in a novel, multi-disciplinary cancer genetic equity CAP focused on developing a multi-level intervention for breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreas cancers.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with CAP members. Questions addressed partners’ motivations for participation in the CAP, feedback about the partnership, and opportunities for future CAPs. All interviews were audio-recorded, de-identified, transcribed, and then coded inductively by 2 analysts to identify relevant themes.Results8 CAP members participated. We identified four main themes including motivations to participate and continue engagement in the CAP, perceived CAP successes, perceived CAP challenges, and suggestions and opportunities for improvement. Participants described a variety of motivations, including learning more about cancer genetics and helping patients and communities. Participants valued the multi-disciplinary collaboration and having facilitated partnership discussions. Challenges included ambiguity of expectations for roles and differing perspectives between providers and community members, sometimes leading to frustrations in discussing solutions to potential barriers. Participants described several suggestions for improving future partnerships, such as more clearly defining expectations for participant roles, being able to create a strong vision and targeted approach, bringing their counterparts into clinical and community spaces to better share differing perspectives, and involving leadership stakeholders in the partnership to help address healthcare system barriers.DiscussionOverall, community and academic members were motivated to participate and engage in a CAP to improve cancer genetic equity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1569414/fullcommunity engagementCBPRcommunity participationpartnershippublic healthcancer genetics
spellingShingle Ariana Naaseh
Meera Muthukrishnan
Isabel Temosihue
Erin L. Linnenbringer
Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives
Frontiers in Public Health
community engagement
CBPR
community participation
partnership
public health
cancer genetics
title Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives
title_full Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives
title_fullStr Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives
title_short Evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity-focused cancer genetic implementation research: a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives
title_sort evaluating a community academic partnership to advance equity focused cancer genetic implementation research a qualitative analysis of partner perspectives
topic community engagement
CBPR
community participation
partnership
public health
cancer genetics
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1569414/full
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