Open AccessPrioritizing research for patients requiring surgery in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Author(s) -
Dmitri Nepogodiev,
Rachel Moore,
Bruce Biccard,
Sarah Rayne,
Ainhoa CostasChavarri,
Marie Carmela Lapitan,
Alex Makupe,
Adewale Adisa,
Ahmad Uzair Qureshi,
Thomas M Drake,
Adesoji O Ademuyiwa,
Philip Alexander,
JC Allen Ingabire,
Sara W Al-Saqqa,
Hosni Salem,
Theophilus Teddy Kojo Anyomih,
Ismaïl Lawani,
María Lorena Aguilera,
Antonio Ramos-De la Medina,
Richard Spence,
Stephen Tabiri,
Raul Yepez,
Neil Smart,
Kathryn Chu,
Justine Davies,
J Edward Fitzgerald,
Dhruv Ghosh,
Zach M Koto,
Laura Magill,
Elmi Muller,
Riinu Ots,
Catherine Shaw,
Azmina Verjee,
Ewen M Harrison,
O. J. Garden,
Sudha Sundar,
James Glasbey,
Sohini Chakrabortee,
Janet Martin,
Richard Lilford,
Martin D. Smith,
Peter Brocklehurst,
Dean Morton,
Aneel Bhangu
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
british journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.202
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1365-2168
pISSN - 0007-1323
DOI - 10.1002/bjs.11037
Subject(s) - medicine , delphi method , health care , global health , perioperative , medical education , family medicine , nursing , public health , surgery , economic growth , statistics , mathematics , economics
Background The National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery is establishing research Hubs in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study was for the Hubs to prioritize future research into areas of unmet clinical need for patients in LMICs requiring surgery. Methods A modified Delphi process was overseen by the research Hub leads and engaged LMIC clinicians, patients and expert methodologists. A four‐stage iterative process was delivered to prioritize research topics. This included anonymous electronic voting, teleconference discussions and a 2‐day priority‐setting workshop. Results In stage 1, Hub leads proposed 32 topics across six domains: access to surgery, cancer, perioperative care, research methods, acute care surgery and communicable disease. In stages 2 and 3, 40 LMICs and 20 high‐income countries participated in online voting, leading to identification of three priority research topics: access to surgery; outcomes of cancer surgery; and perioperative care. During stage 4, specific research plans to address each topic were developed by Hub leads at a priority‐setting workshop. Conclusion This process identified three priority areas for future research relevant to surgery in LMICs. It was driven by front‐line LMIC clinicians, patients and other stakeholders representing a diverse range of settings. The results of the prioritization exercise provide a future framework for researchers and funders.