Development of a veteran engagement toolkit for researchers

Engaging patients in the planning, implementation and dissemination of research can increase the credibility and relevance of results and lead to higher quality, more patient-centered care. Veterans have unique experiences and healthcare needs, making their input on research related to their care particularly important. However, existing veteran engagement resources primarily focus on veterans who receive care through the Veterans Health Administration (VA). This excludes those veterans - the majority - who do not use the VA for healthcare. To address this gap, we developed a veteran engagement toolkit that was informed by the work of both VA and non-VA researchers across the USA. The resulting toolkit provides guidance on essential engagement activities relevant to researchers in a variety of settings. Investigators wishing to engage the veteran community may benefit from the experience and lessons summarized in this veteran-informed toolkit, in addition to resources directed at informing community engagement more generally.