9 Empowering communities through theater testing: Engaging Promotoras de Salud in substance use disorder research on the US-Mexico border

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: Highlight the importance of community engagement: Showcase how the involvement of Promotoras de Salud is critical for fostering trust and encouraging participation in clinical trials. Cultural relevance and adaptation: Underline the importance of cultural and contextual relevance in developing and refining clinical research tools. Methods/Study Population: The theater test, an interactive evaluation approach akin to a dress rehearsal in theater, was conducted with approximately 60 Promotoras de Salud at a community center near the US-Mexico border. The Promotoras were divided into four groups, each focusing on one domain of the toolkit and facilitated discussions provided critical feedback on the materials and methods. A community engagement liaison with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center played a key role in introducing the EXPLORE team to these community leaders, leveraging long-standing relationships that predate this project. Results/Anticipated Results: Post-testing evaluations showed that 97% of the Promotoras were likely to encourage clinical trials in their communities, and 86% saw significant benefits for their community members. The Promotoras provided key insights and recommendations to enhance the toolkit’s cultural and contextual relevance. The community engagement liaison created a bilingual infographic to share these insights, which was presented at a Promotoras meeting, fostering meaningful discussion about clinical trials. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This project underscores the importance of community voices in research, transforming feedback into actionable insights for public health. Engaging Promotoras through theater testing validated the EXPLORE Toolkit and strengthened ties between clinical research and communities impacted by the opioid crisis.