Table 4.

Reported barriers and enablers to patient engagement (n=32).

Barriers	Studies
Addressing the priorities of all team members can be difficult to achieve [R]	8
It is challenging to capture diverse viewpoints and research priorities from members with different research backgrounds
Structural barriers to patient engagement exist [R]	7
Insufficient researcher resources to support patient partners including time and budget restrictions
Defining the patient partner population to recruit can be challenging [R]	5
Recruitment may inadvertently exclude members of particular groups
Lack of researcher training opportunities to guide meaningful patient engagement in basic science research [R/P]	4
Lack of research experience, preparation, and clarity around patient engagement expectations
Enablers	Studies
Creating a safe space where patient partners and researchers feel comfortable to collaborate [R/P]	6
Ensure team members feel comfortable in sharing individual views
Distribute learning materials before and after meetings
Consider arranging the team structure to support patient engagement [R/P]	5
Training and resources for researchers to overcome challenges
Critically building study team composition including an engagement coordinator
Develop patient engagement strategies ahead of time [R]	2
Plan for equitable division of responsibilities to reduce the burden on the project team and help partners feel more invested
Consider the needs of the community
External organizations that actively support patient engagement in basic science research projects [R/P]	1
Enforcing and facilitating the involvement of patient partners

Abbreviations: R and P denote themes that pertain to researchers and patient partners, respectively.