Community engagement by faculties of medicine: A scoping review of current practices and practical recommendations

Purpose Social accountability (SA) is the responsibility of faculties of medicine (FoMs) to address the health priorities of the communities they serve. Community engagement (CE) is a vital, but often ambiguous, component of SA. Practical guidance on how to engage community partners (CPs) is key for meaningful CE. We conducted a systematic scoping review of CE involving FoMs to map out how FoMs engage their communities, to provide practical recommendations for FoMs to take part in CE, and to highlight gaps in the literature. Materials and methods We searched electronic databases for articles describing projects or programs involving FoMs and CPs. Descriptive information was analyzed thematically. Results Thirty-eight of 1406 articles were included, revealing three themes: (1) Partners (Who to Engage)-deciding who to engage establishes the basis for responsibility and creates space for communities to engage FoMs; (2) Partnerships (How to Engage)-fostering creative and authentic collaboration, enabling meaningful community contributions; and (3) Projects and Programs (With What to Engage)-identifying opportunities for communities to have a voice in many spaces within FoMs. Under these themes emerged 32 practical recommendations. Conclusion Practical guidance facilitates meaningful commitments to communities. The literature is rich with examples of community-FoM partnerships. We provide recommendations for CE that are clear, evidence-based, and responsive.