Aim
Consumer engagement principles developed by Cancer Australia and other national and state level health departments highlight importance of involving people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in their consumer engagement activities. However, there is very little reference to how these principles apply or should be considered in relation to CALD communities. This research aimed to develop a set of guiding principles to fill this gap.
Method
A modified two-round Delphi consisting of a workshop and two consensus surveys was conducted. Through a workshop with range of stakeholders, an initial set of statements as proposed guiding principles were generated. These statements underwent two rounds of online voting by eligible participants to reach consensus. Quantitative data was analysed using a statistical software. Qualitative feedback was thematically analysed and integrated through discussion between the project team members.
Results
An initial set of 22 statements were developed as proposed guiding principles through the workshop activity. Sixty-five eligible participants completed the first round of survey. Of the 22 statements, 19 received the minimum required score of 70% agreement as relevant to be considered for the next round. Following qualitative thematic analysis and team discussion, a set of 11 statements were produced and distributed for the final round of consensus survey. The 11 statements covered key areas of determining the scope and nature of consumer participation in engagement activities, resourcing, meeting language and other support requirements and evaluating the process employed for engagement for continuous improvement.
Conclusion
The guiding principles complement the existing consumer engagement frameworks and strategies and could be applied to a range of settings including in cancer care to enhance participation of CALD consumers in engagement activities. In doing so, they will create equitable opportunities for CALD consumers to contribute towards health systems and service planning, design and evaluation.