Defining the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) research agenda: A Delphi consensus project

BACKGROUND: Despite major advances in surgical and medical management, only one-third of pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients remain morbidity-free at 10 years. The Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) published a research agenda over 10 years ago, and much progress has been made since then. An updated consensus-driven SPLIT research agenda could guide future research and funding priorities. We aimed to identify and prioritize key research needs across the continuum of pediatric LT care using a modified Delphi consensus approach. METHODS: We conducted a three-round modified Delphi process among SPLIT members. In round 1, participants submitted open-ended research priorities. In round 2, the Steering Committee synthesized these into 156 unique statements for rating. The third and final round included revision and rerating of 42 statements. Consensus was defined as a median importance rating ≥7 on a 9-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Sixty-nine multidisciplinary experts participated in round 1, with