Demonstrating Impact in Participatory Health Research

Internationally there is a move towards improving the impact of research by going beyond knowledge collection to bridging the gap between knowledge and action. Participatory health research (PHR) is an approach to research that blends the boundaries between research, knowledge and action through participation. This chapter will specifically focus on some of the challenges and opportunities in demonstrating impact in PHR. We begin by presenting three essential dimensions of impact in PHR, a reflection of ongoing discussions among members of the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research (ICPHR). Second, we outline some of the challenges and opportunities in demonstrating the impact PHR in the health sciences along with examples from practice. Finally, we outline future opportunities for demonstrating the impact of PHR by describing a new internationally-led project called the interactive Knowledge Base (iKB). The iKB aims to map the relationship between participation and impact, the scope of impacts that can be expected, and how these impacts manifest in different contexts of health research. This new project will help researchers and funders of health research to appropriately communicate and evaluate the impact of PHR through the development of this systematic and dynamic evidence base