PREDICT prioritisation study: establishing the research priorities of paediatric emergency medicine physicians in Australia and New Zealand

Heather Carol Deane; Catherine L Wilson; Franz E Babl; Stuart R Dalziel; John Alexander Cheek; Simon S Craig; Ed Oakley; Meredith Borland; Nicholas G Cheng; Michael Zhang; Elizabeth Cotterell; Tibor Schuster; David Krieser; PREDICT Research Network

doi:10.1136/emermed-2017-206727

PREDICT prioritisation study: establishing the research priorities of paediatric emergency medicine physicians in Australia and New Zealand

Emerg Med J. 2018 Jan;35(1):39-45. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2017-206727. Epub 2017 Aug 30.

Authors

Heather Carol Deane^{1

2}, Catherine L Wilson², Franz E Babl^{1

2}, Stuart R Dalziel^{3

4}, John Alexander Cheek^{1

5}, Simon S Craig^{5

6}, Ed Oakley^{1

2}, Meredith Borland^{7

8}, Nicholas G Cheng⁹, Michael Zhang¹⁰, Elizabeth Cotterell¹¹, Tibor Schuster^{12

13}, David Krieser^{12

14}; PREDICT Research Network

Affiliations

¹ Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
² Emergency Research Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
³ Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁴ Emergency Department, Starship Children's Hospital, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁵ Paediatric Emergency Department, Monash Medical Centre, Emergency Program, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Emergency Department, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁸ Schools of Paediatric and Child Health and Primary, Rural and Aboriginal Healthcare, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁹ Emergency Department, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Emergency Department, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
¹¹ Tablelands Clinical School, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
¹² Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹³ Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Melbourne Children's Trial Centre, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁴ Department of Emergency Medicine, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 28855237
DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2017-206727

Abstract

Background: The Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) performs multicentre research in Australia and New Zealand. Research priorities are difficult to determine, often relying on individual interests or prior work.

Objective: To identify the research priorities of paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) specialists working in Australia and New Zealand.

Methods: Online surveys were administered in a two-stage, modified Delphi study. Eligible participants were PEM specialists (consultants and senior advanced trainees in PEM from 14 PREDICT sites). Participants submitted up to 3 of their most important research questions (survey 1). Responses were collated and refined, then a shortlist of refined questions was returned to participants for prioritisation (survey 2). A further prioritisation exercise was carried out at a PREDICT meeting using the Hanlon Process of Prioritisation. This determined the priorities of active researchers in PEM including an emphasis on the feasibility of a research question.

Results: One hundred and six of 254 (42%) eligible participants responded to survey 1 and 142/245 (58%) to survey 2. One hundred and sixty-eight (66%) took part in either or both surveys. Two hundred forty-six individual research questions were submitted in survey 1. Survey 2 established a prioritised list of 35 research questions. Priority topics from both the Delphi and Hanlon process included high flow oxygenation in intubation, fluid volume resuscitation in sepsis, imaging in cervical spine injury, intravenous therapy for asthma and vasopressor use in sepsis.

Conclusion: This prioritisation process has established a list of research questions, which will inform multicentre PEM research in Australia and New Zealand. It has also emphasised the importance of the translation of new knowledge.

Keywords: Methods; Paediatric Emergency Medicine; Paediatrics; Research.

MeSH terms

Australia
Delphi Technique
Emergency Service, Hospital / organization & administration
Emergency Service, Hospital / trends
Fluid Therapy / methods
Fluid Therapy / trends
Humans
New Zealand
Pediatric Emergency Medicine / methods*
Pediatric Emergency Medicine / trends
Physicians / psychology*
Research / trends*
Resuscitation / methods
Resuscitation / trends
Sepsis / therapy
Surveys and Questionnaires