D4.02 - World Cafe: Building Trust Through Civil Dialogue: The Deliberative Inquiry Approach

Brief Abstract Summary: Discover how Deliberative Inquiry is transforming community health communication by promoting civil dialogue, inclusion, and shared decision-making. Deliberative inquiry provides a new framework for addressing misinformation, building trust, and advancing health equity by engaging communities in structured, values-based conversations about complex health issues. Learn how this innovative approach can be applied in real-world public health settings, and explore the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension’s Deliberative Inquiry Learning Modules, a first-of-its-kind professional development tool designed to help practitioners build the skills needed to implement deliberative inquiry effectively. Attendees will gain practical strategies and tools to integrate Deliberative inquiry principles into their own work to enhance communication, trust, and collective action.

Detailed abstract description: As public health professionals face growing challenges of misinformation, polarization, and declining trust, new approaches are needed to communicate effectively and engage communities. Deliberative Inquiry is an innovative framework that transforms community health communication by fostering civil dialogue, inclusion, and shared decision-making. It helps communities move beyond debate to explore complex health issues collaboratively, weigh tradeoffs, and identify solutions that integrate evidence with local values. Rooted in deliberative democracy and health literacy, DI emphasizes structured dialogue that values multiple perspectives, encourages reflection, and supports equitable decision-making. By focusing on how conversations are facilitated rather than what information is delivered, deliberative inquiry strengthens trust, transparency, and collaboration, making health communication more effective and culturally relevant. To support practitioners in applying deliberative inquiry the UW-Madison developed the Deliberative Inquiry Learning Modules, a new, research-informed professional development resource. Examples from Wisconsin demonstrate how deliberative inquiry has been included in Community Health Assessments and Improvement Planning and has strengthened communication and civic participation in public health initiatives. Deliberative inquiry has created spaces where residents, practitioners, and policymakers could deliberate together, leading to stronger relationships, more informed decisions, and increased community ownership of solutions. Presentation Learning Objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Describe the core principles and process of deliberative inquiry and how it strengthens civil dialogue, trust, and equity in health communication. Apply deliberative inquiry strategies, naming and framing health issues, facilitating dialogues, and moving toward community action, to engage communities in health-related conversations within six months. Use the Learning Modules to build their skills in facilitating dialogue and applying deliberative inquiry in community or public health settings. Innovation and Impact: Deliberative inquiry represents a new, replicable approach to health communication that moves beyond traditional messaging to foster dialogue, reflection, and shared decision making. This session introduces a framework that is innovative and actionable, helping practitioners navigate controversial topics, counter misinformation, and promote equitable engagement. The Learning Modules provide a scalable, evidence-informed tool to build capacity in deliberative inquiry, supporting sustainability and impact across diverse health settings. Attendees will gain access to a new communication framework and supporting tools, enabling them to learn more about facilitating civil dialogue, deepen trust, and strengthen community partnerships. They will leave equipped to explore these principles in their own work.