Consensus Building

Consensus building is a collaborative, democratic process where consumers—alongside clinicians, researchers, and other stakeholders—work together to reach shared agreement on key issues. It involves structured, participatory approaches that encourage open dialogue and respect for diverse perspectives, especially those with lived experience.
These methods help balance priorities across all participants and guide decision-making in a transparent and inclusive way.
Common Consensus Building Approaches:

Citizens’ Jury – A group of everyday people deliberates on complex issues and provides recommendations.
James Lind Alliance Method – Brings patients, carers, and clinicians together to identify and prioritize unanswered research questions.
Delphi Model – Uses rounds of anonymous surveys to build expert consensus.
Priority Setting Workshops – Facilitated sessions where stakeholders collaboratively identify and rank key issues or actions.

Case Study: Using the Delphi Method to Shape Women’s Health Research Priorities

At a women’s health research institute, the Delphi method was used to identify and prioritise research topics that aligned with community needs. This structured, multi-round survey process involved women with lived experience, clinicians, and researchers working together to reach consensus.

Round 1: Participants proposed key research topics based on their experiences and expertise.
Round 2: Topics were rated for importance. Those with low consensus were removed.
Round 3: The remaining topics were refined, and the top five priorities were finalised.

This inclusive and systematic approach ensured that the resulting research agenda was grounded in real-world concerns, leading to studies with greater relevance and impact for the community.

Case Study: Using a Priority Setting Workshop for Dementia Research Through Inclusive Workshop

To identify research areas that matter most to patients, carers, and clinicians, a dementia research institute hosted a priority setting workshop aimed at guiding both lab-based and clinical research streams.

The workshop brought together a diverse group of participants, including people living with dementia, carers, support workers, clinicians, and researchers. Through small group discussions and ranking exercises, participants shared key challenges in dementia care, treatment, and research.

Facilitated conversations helped the group reach consensus on the top five research priorities, ensuring that future research efforts are grounded in real-world needs and lived experience.