Refreshing the paediatric emergency medicine research priorities across the UK and Ireland

BACKGROUND: The original research priorities for paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) in the UK and Ireland were published in 2015. This list, generated through a modified Delphi process involving healthcare professionals only, has driven the research agenda for over ten years. With many now successfully addressed and a significantly altered healthcare landscape, there was a pressing need to refresh PEM research priorities with the input of patients and carers. METHODS: James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology was employed. The scope included unscheduled emergency care provided to children and young people irrespective of setting. An independent JLA facilitator chaired monthly steering group meetings with equal input from parents and healthcare professionals. Two online surveys were employed to generate a list of evidence uncertainties and then to prioritise research questions from key stakeholder groups (patients, carers and healthcare professionals). An online workshop subsequently used an adapted nominal group technique to reach a consensus on the top list of research priorities. RESULTS: 655 questions were submitted in Survey 1 by 338 respondents (35% patients and carers and 65% healthcare professionals). After merging questions by topic and removing out-of-scope questions, 70 summary questions proceeded to evidence reviews; three were found to have been sufficiently answered. Further merging of summary questions resulted in 46 indicative research questions for Survey 2, which received 542 complete responses (26.6% patients and carers, 73.4% healthcare professionals). The 18 highest-ranking questions were brought to the consensus workshop, in which 12 patients/carers and 15 healthcare professionals reached consensus on the 10 highest priority research questions. CONCLUSION: This refreshed PEM prioritisation study has identified the top 10 research priorities reflecting the views of patients, carers and a range of health professionals across the UK and Ireland. These priorities will be used to drive the PEM research agenda for the next decade.