UMSOP Faculty Member to Lead New Study to Strengthen Community Voices in Research

The two-year study will help ensure patient and community perspectives are meaningfully included in research.

By Pam Carder
January 12, 2026

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) has been awarded $1.4 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to advance how community voices are meaningfully engaged in health research.

Led by C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research and executive director of the PATIENTS Program at UMSOP, the two-year study is titled “Developing/Validating a Measure of CAB Engagement Outcomes from CAB Members’ Perspectives.” The goal is to develop a new, scientifically validated tool that measures Community Advisory Board members’ perspectives on how engagement affects trust, influence, and shared decision-making in patient-centered research.

Elevating the Role of Community Advisory Boards

The project will result in the Community Advisory Board Engagement Outcomes Scale (CABEOS), a scientifically tested, easy-to-use tool designed to measure engagement outcomes from the perspectives of former and current Community Advisory Board (CAB) members.

CABs are a cornerstone of patient-centered research, bringing together patients, caregivers, advocates, and community members to help guide research studies. While CABs are widely used, their impact is not always fully realized.

“Too often, CABs are brought in at certain points in a study or asked to react to decisions rather than help shape them,” said Mullins. “This project is about listening directly to CAB members and learning from their experiences what meaningful engagement actually produces.”

A New Tool Built With, and For, Communities

To develop CABEOS, the research team will work in close partnership with patients and community leaders at every stage of the study. A six-member steering committee – consisting of patients, patient advocates, and community leaders experienced in patient-centered research – will co-lead the project alongside the research team.

The study will include focus groups, interviews, and pilot testing with former and current CAB members to identify what outcomes of engagement matter most to them. Their insights will guide the development, testing, and refinement of CABEOS to ensure it reflects real-world experiences and priorities.

Sharing Results

A central commitment of the project is sharing results with the communities involved. Findings will be communicated via written summaries, infographics, and presentations designed for patient and community audiences, as well as publications and summaries for researchers.

“We want participants to see how their voices directly shape the outcomes of this work,” Mullins said. “That transparency is essential to trust and meaningful partnership.”

Advancing Patient-Centered Research

Once completed, CABEOS will offer patients, caregivers, community advocates, and researchers a practical way to assess whether engagement efforts are effective and inclusive. By strengthening how engagement is measured, the tool has the potential to improve the quality and impact of patient-centered research across diverse communities.

The project is expected to begin in Spring 2026 and continue for 24 months.

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