Abstract
INTRODUCTION: As part of a quality improvement initiative, our emergency department (ED) implemented a community advisory council consisting of leaders from five community-based organizations (CBO) that provide services for survivors of intimate partner violence. We used qualitative interviews with participants from the organizations to evaluate the council by identifying factors that promoted and hindered their engagement in this partnership between the community and the ED as well as best practices for future collaborations METHODS: We conducted five, 30-minute semi-structured interviews, one for each CBO representative on the council. Interview questions were based on validated toolkits for evaluating community-based participatory research. We conducted thematic analysis using a barriers and facilitators framework. RESULTS: Our focus on building relationships within the community advisory council facilitated collaboration between the ED and the CBOs. We identified structural barriers to and facilitators of the relationship-building process, as well as four behaviors that promoted relationship-building within the council. These behaviors included a joint problem-solving orientation, a culture of curiosity, shared empathy between emergency clinicians and CBO members, and a deeper understanding of barriers to caring for survivors of intimate partner violence in the ED. Themes regarding the impact of the council included the results of tangible projects as well as cultural shifts in the ED as perceived by leaders of the CBOs. CONCLUSION: We share a case study of a collaboration between the ED and community-based organizations that illustrates barriers to and facilitators of engagement by leaders of these organizations in community-healthcare partnerships. The ED is a short but meaningful stop in recovery for many survivors, and a warm handoff to a CBO can be an essential next step in their care. When rooted in mutually respectful, trusting relationships, ED-CBO partnerships have the potential to enable survivor-centered, quality improvement efforts that work to improve the continuum of care between the ED and the community.