Background: The evidence-based research process starts with asking the important research questions that are relevant to stakeholders. Previous evaluations on research priority setting (RPS) processes, including the prioritisation of topics for Cochrane reviews, has shown that most RPS processes often do not involve stakeholders from a range of ethnicity, socioeconomic situations, or educational levels.
Objectives: This study intends to conduct priority setting with a diverse range of stakeholders and understand the similarities and differences in their priorities and values.
Methods: We selected oral health as a health topic to focus our RPS process as it is a common health problem. We recruited 14 dental surgeons and 40 community participants from one of the four ethnicities in Malaysia and conducted semi-structured interviews in their preferred language. We compared the challenges involving different ethnic groups, similarities and differences in their views, and the influence of their different life experiences on their research priorities.
Results: Based on our observations, we listed various factors that demonstrate how ethnicity needs to be considered in their environment, context, and interaction with other groups in that community and the impact of their cultural and religious views and practices on their priority choices and values.
Conclusions: Our research observations will shape a toolkit to involve multiple ethnic groups who speak different languages in an RPS process. Patient, public, and/or healthcare consumer involvement: We have involved dental surgeons and patients who had dental treatment experiences and belong to one of the four different ethnic groups in Malaysia.