Table 1.

Summary of Literature Review Findings by Level of Engagement

Category of Engagement (IAP2)	Purpose of Engaging	Engagement Participants	Engagement Strategies	References
Consult	▪ Identify system-level healthcare gaps and barriers experienced by participants ▪ Collect participants’ ideas for improving services/policies ▪ Inform development of evaluation, collect evaluation data	▪ Users of various healthcare system from diverse backgrounds ▪ Users of specific community-based services	▪ 1-day in-person events ▪ Participants shared health experiences with each other through various discussion formats (e.g. world café, interpersonal conversations, writing and drawing on poster boards) ▪ Solicited ideas by asking what the system is currently like, and how it should ideally be ▪ Participants shared ideas about how healthcare could be made better	[15, 18, 19, 32, 42]
Involve	▪ Create methods to collect concerns/ideas of specific populations about a health service/policy ▪ Inform decision makers about specific communities’ values, preferences, and needs regarding broader system-level issues ▪ Inform management at facility about their patients’ values/preferences/needs	▪ Communities previously excluded or oppressed by healthcare structures, from a variety of backgrounds ▪ People whose voices were historically ignored	▪ Patients participated in the development of communication structures through focus groups and surveys ▪ Engaged community groups to learn about facilitating the patients ▪ Created informational material to enhance participants understanding of the issues ▪ Ongoing dialogue through various formats to identify concerns/hopes, and inform decision makers	[20, 23, 28, 29]
Collaborate	▪ Advise on planning of an initiative for a specific population ▪ Advise health authority how to improve services for a particular population	▪ A diverse range of participants, including members of the population targeted by the initiative, and people who were personally or professionally interested in the issue	▪ Created an advisory panel or committee ▪ Participants attended regular meetings ▪ Provided opportunities for participants to learn about the issue ▪ Participants provided information, advice and feedback about the initiative. Through the process the facilitators responded to this input, creating a cycle of feedback and response over time	[22, 24–27, 30]
Empower	▪ Plan and implement a community health promotion initiative	▪ Diverse range of participants, including members of the population targeted by the initiative, and people who were personally or professionally interested.	▪ Created a partnership with the participants ▪ Supported partners to plan activities and evaluation criteria of the project ▪ Provided learning opportunities for participants	[21]