Roundtable On Arthritis Research (ROAR)

1. Roundtable On Arthritis Research (ROAR) An innovative knowledge exchange workshop for researchers, patients and families AJ Lehman1, C Maloney1, N Prestley1, O Kamensek1 and the Consumer Advisory Board (CAB)1 1The Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, Vancouver; British Columbia cabnewsletter@arthritisresearch.ca Background: Results: ROAR is an annual interactive educational forum where people affected by arthritis and health professionals examine how research can improve the management of arthritis. ROAR was developed by the Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) of the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada (ARC). CAB volunteers organize the full day forum which includes six scientific presentations, a Q&A panel discussion and facilitator-led table discussions. • Participant demographics: • N=164 (121 completed evaluations) • 75% had arthritis, 17% did not have arthritis, and 8% were unsure if they had arthritis • Ratio of Female to Male participants was 6 to 1 • Quantitative data: • The research information met participants’ learning expectations (Mean=4.51, SD=0.64) • Participants would attend a one year follow-up event (Mean=4.75, SD=0.51) • Participants would recommend the event to others (Mean=4.79, SD=0.45) • Email communication was the most effective tool in promoting ROAR (Chart 1) • Arthritis advocacy and community groups supported the promotion of ROAR (Chart 1) • Presenters’ slides and discussions were in lay language (Chart 2) • Online registration was perceived as straightforward by 99% of participants; however, only 35% of participants completed online registration • Qualitative data: • Facilitated table discussions and networking with peers were highly valued • Most topic recommendations for future ROAR forums related to practical research for everyday living • Q&A expert panel was well received and most participants expressed a desire for more time devoted to this panel discussion • Participants desired access to webcasts of ROAR presentations Chart 1 Goal: Chart 2 • To assess ROAR as a knowledge translation tool: • value of the forum for consumer participants, • value of the forum for research scientists, • effective methods for advertising the forum, and • participant demographics. Conclusions: • ROAR is a valuable tool for disseminating arthritis research to the general public • Forum topics should continue to include research that enhances everyday living • Further research is required to determine if incorporating various knowledge dissemination platforms enhances learning objectives • Direct-to-consumer advertising is the most effective way to reach and increase the number of participants • Arthritis advocacy and community groups should be sent promotional material for ROAR • Need to identify strategies to increase online registration Method: Two evaluation forms containing common themes were created to assess the merit of the forum. These included Likert-type questions ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree), open-ended questions, and multiple choice questions. • Researchers were asked to evaluate their presentations (lay language and clarity) and the value of the forum as a dissemination tool. • Participants were asked to evaluate the presentations (lay language and clarity) and the value of the forum as a learning instrument, and to identify the promotional vehicle responsible for their attendance. Acknowledgements: Thank you to the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Province of British Columbia, The Arthritis Society (BC & Yukon Division), and arthritis advocacy and community groups.