Defining and Measuring Community Engagement and Community-Engaged Research: Clinical and Translational Science Institutional Practices.

Background: The institutions that comprise the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences continue to explore and develop community-engaged research strategies and to study the role of community academic partnerships in advancing the science of community engagement.

Objectives: To explore CTSA institutions in relation to an Institute of Medicine recommendation that community engagement occur in all stages of translational research and be defined and evaluated consistently.

Methods: A sequential multimethods study starting with an online pilot survey followed by survey respondents and site informant interviews.

Science Cafés: Transforming citizens to scientific citizens-What influences participants' perceived change in health and scientific literacy?

Introduction: Science Cafés facilitated by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin seek to increase health and scientific literacy through informal conversation between researchers and community members. The goal was to understand what factors have the greatest influence on attendees' perceived changes in health and science literacy levels (PCHSL) to increase impact.

Methods: Previous research established the evaluation used in the Science Cafés to measure PCHSL.

Towards Building a Bridge between Community Engagement in Research (CEnR) and Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER).

A major national priority is establishing an effective infrastructure for translation of scientific discoveries into the community. Knowledge and practice continue to accelerate in health research yet healthcare recommendation adoption remains slow for practitioners, patients, and communities. Two areas of research placed in the later stages of the translational research spectrum, Community Engagement in Research and Comparative Effectiveness Research, are ideal for approaching this challenge collaboratively.

Science cafés: engaging scientists and community through health and science dialogue.

Engagement of the community through informal dialogue with researchers and physicians around health and science topics is an important avenue to build understanding and affect health and science literacy. Science Cafés are one model for this casual interchange; however the impact of this approach remains under researched. The Community Engagement Key Function of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin hosted a series of Science Cafés in which topics were collaboratively decided upon by input from the community.

Towards a unified taxonomy of health indicators: academic health centers and communities working together to improve population health.

The Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program represents a significant public investment. To realize its major goal of improving the public's health and reducing health disparities, the CTSA Consortium's Community Engagement Key Function Committee has undertaken the challenge of developing a taxonomy of community health indicators. The objective is to initiate a unified approach for monitoring progress in improving population health outcomes.

Necrotizing soft-tissue infection from rectal abscess.

Rectal abscess may result in necrotizing soft-tissue infection including fasciitis, myositis, and extraperitoneal dissection of pus without muscle necrosis. The presentation and therapy of ten patients treated over the past six years are reviewed. Early recognition of rapidly spreading infection was imperative.