Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) Meeting – Batticaloa
An in-person Community Involvement and Engagement (CIE) session for the DIGIPATHS project was held on 12 May 2025 at the Holistic Care Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Eastern University, with 40 participants including community healthcare workers, primary care doctors, patients, and their relatives. Facilitated by Dr. N. Shobana and Dr. S. Kumaran, the session introduced the DIGIPATHS initiative, which aims to develop a Digitally Integrated Care Pathway (DICP) using electronic patient records (e.g., OpenMRS) to improve the management of multiple long-term conditions such as diabetes and hypertension in Sri Lanka. Emphasizing co-design, the project positions community members as equal partners whose lived experiences inform the design, implementation, and scalability of standardized, patient-centred digital care pathways.
The session engaged participants in structured group activities to share experiences with existing guidelines, identify strengths and gaps in primary care, and prioritize feasible improvements. Using silent idea generation, round-robin sharing, clarification, and group voting, participants collaboratively reviewed diabetes and hypertension guidelines, leading to constructive dialogue and shared learning despite occasional differences in viewpoints. Feedback indicated high satisfaction, improved understanding of guidelines, and appreciation for inclusive decision-making. Key follow-ups include organizing NCD screening programs at the Holistic Care Centre and planning the next CIE meeting in at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
