Doing community-driven research: A description of Seattle Partners for healthy communities

Citation
A. Eisinger et K. Senturia, Doing community-driven research: A description of Seattle Partners for healthy communities, J URBAN H, 78(3), 2001, pp. 519-534
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health
Journal title
JOURNAL OF URBAN HEALTH-BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE
ISSN journal
10993460 → ACNP
Volume
78
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
519 - 534
Database
ISI
SICI code
1099-3460(200109)78:3<519:DCRADO>2.0.ZU;2-L
Abstract
Seattle Partners, an Urban Research Center (URC) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a partnership of community agency representatives, community activists, public health professionals, academic s, and health care providers whose mission is to improve the health of urba n Seattle, Washington, communities by conducting community-based participat ory research. This article describes the development and characteristics of Seattle Partners. Using primarily qualitative methods, including periodic in-depth interviews, evaluators identified the components necessary for Sea ttle Partners to maintain a collaborative and establish a research center d riven by community interests. Seattle Partners is run by an unrestricted an d inclusive board that has spent 5 years developing both an operating struc ture and various research interventions. Operating under Community Collabor ation Principles, the board identified social determinants of health as the priority area in which to work. Collaboration, "small and concrete" accomp lishments, skilled individuals, and funder support directly influence the s uccess of the center. Decision making, project selection, and board composi tion have all been challenges to work through. Learning how to do and susta in the work are lessons being learned as Seattle Partners matures.