Towards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) model

Abstract Background Learning healthcare communities (LHCCs) have been proposed as a next-generation evolution of learning health systems that can advance health equity; however, a practical mechanism for enabling the active and continuous community engagement required for one has not yet been descri...

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Main Authors: Sarah M. McNeilly, Katherine W. Wang, Sarah A. Jacobs, Nang S. Yone, Debra A. Williams, Bruce D. Rapkin, Caroline Davis Joseph, Damara N. Gutnick
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:Health Research Policy and Systems
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-025-01289-w
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author Sarah M. McNeilly
Katherine W. Wang
Sarah A. Jacobs
Nang S. Yone
Debra A. Williams
Bruce D. Rapkin
Caroline Davis Joseph
Damara N. Gutnick
author_facet Sarah M. McNeilly
Katherine W. Wang
Sarah A. Jacobs
Nang S. Yone
Debra A. Williams
Bruce D. Rapkin
Caroline Davis Joseph
Damara N. Gutnick
author_sort Sarah M. McNeilly
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Learning healthcare communities (LHCCs) have been proposed as a next-generation evolution of learning health systems that can advance health equity; however, a practical mechanism for enabling the active and continuous community engagement required for one has not yet been described in the literature. Recognizing that community-based participatory research (CBPR) could potentially meet this need, a team at the Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine designed a novel evidence-based CBPR model – Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) – that initiates meaningful, longitudinal dialogues to foster bidirectional trust between researchers, clinicians, scientists and communities. Methods A mixed-methods cohort study of two BRAID cohorts was conducted between 2022 and 2023. Eligible participants were recruited from the Bronx, New York, United States and convened in a series of conversation circles. Multimodal data was collected from all participants, including quantitative pre- and post-series surveys and same-day conversation circle feedback forms. Surveys were administered using SurveyMonkey and descriptive statistics were completed in Excel and SPSS. Results A total of 42 participants were enrolled, most of whom were people of colour who had not participated in research before. Among them, 40 participants provided at least one response to a same-day conversation circle feedback form, which reflected consistently positive experiences with BRAID. This was consistent with evidence from the post-series survey, in which every one of the 36 respondents stated that they would either definitely (83.3%, N = 30/36) or probably (16.7%, N = 6/36) recommend participation in BRAID to someone like them. Of note, 91.7% (N = 33/36) had already disseminated health information learned through BRAID downstream and 84.4% (N = 27/32) indicated that BRAID strengthened their trust in science and research, highlighting unique and distinguishing features of the model. Conclusions Our quantitative evidence suggests that BRAID is effective, efficient and scalable, with experiential evidence supporting that it is reproducible. These factors suggest that BRAID implementation can facilitate rapid, bidirectional information sharing that builds trust between healthcare organizations and communities. This has laid the groundwork for an LHCC in the Bronx, with the potential to be adopted by healthcare organizations elsewhere.
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spelling doaj-art-69c73fb24eec41b7b9bde6ff9fcf4ccd2025-08-20T02:15:19ZengBMCHealth Research Policy and Systems1478-45052025-02-0123111110.1186/s12961-025-01289-wTowards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) modelSarah M. McNeilly0Katherine W. Wang1Sarah A. Jacobs2Nang S. Yone3Debra A. Williams4Bruce D. Rapkin5Caroline Davis Joseph6Damara N. Gutnick7Albert Einstein College of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineMontefiore Medical Center, Office of Community and Population HealthDepartment of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBRAID Community Expert and CEO and Founder, CompassionMontefiore Medical Center, Office of Community and Population HealthAbstract Background Learning healthcare communities (LHCCs) have been proposed as a next-generation evolution of learning health systems that can advance health equity; however, a practical mechanism for enabling the active and continuous community engagement required for one has not yet been described in the literature. Recognizing that community-based participatory research (CBPR) could potentially meet this need, a team at the Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine designed a novel evidence-based CBPR model – Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) – that initiates meaningful, longitudinal dialogues to foster bidirectional trust between researchers, clinicians, scientists and communities. Methods A mixed-methods cohort study of two BRAID cohorts was conducted between 2022 and 2023. Eligible participants were recruited from the Bronx, New York, United States and convened in a series of conversation circles. Multimodal data was collected from all participants, including quantitative pre- and post-series surveys and same-day conversation circle feedback forms. Surveys were administered using SurveyMonkey and descriptive statistics were completed in Excel and SPSS. Results A total of 42 participants were enrolled, most of whom were people of colour who had not participated in research before. Among them, 40 participants provided at least one response to a same-day conversation circle feedback form, which reflected consistently positive experiences with BRAID. This was consistent with evidence from the post-series survey, in which every one of the 36 respondents stated that they would either definitely (83.3%, N = 30/36) or probably (16.7%, N = 6/36) recommend participation in BRAID to someone like them. Of note, 91.7% (N = 33/36) had already disseminated health information learned through BRAID downstream and 84.4% (N = 27/32) indicated that BRAID strengthened their trust in science and research, highlighting unique and distinguishing features of the model. Conclusions Our quantitative evidence suggests that BRAID is effective, efficient and scalable, with experiential evidence supporting that it is reproducible. These factors suggest that BRAID implementation can facilitate rapid, bidirectional information sharing that builds trust between healthcare organizations and communities. This has laid the groundwork for an LHCC in the Bronx, with the potential to be adopted by healthcare organizations elsewhere.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-025-01289-wHealth equityCommunity-based participatory researchCommunity engagementLearning health systemLearning healthcare community
spellingShingle Sarah M. McNeilly
Katherine W. Wang
Sarah A. Jacobs
Nang S. Yone
Debra A. Williams
Bruce D. Rapkin
Caroline Davis Joseph
Damara N. Gutnick
Towards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) model
Health Research Policy and Systems
Health equity
Community-based participatory research
Community engagement
Learning health system
Learning healthcare community
title Towards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) model
title_full Towards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) model
title_fullStr Towards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) model
title_full_unstemmed Towards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) model
title_short Towards a learning healthcare community in the Bronx: evaluating the Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) model
title_sort towards a learning healthcare community in the bronx evaluating the bridging research accurate information and dialogue braid model
topic Health equity
Community-based participatory research
Community engagement
Learning health system
Learning healthcare community
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-025-01289-w
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