Identifying research gaps in substance use disorder: A systematic methodology and prioritized list

Background: This paper presents a new methodology for identifying and prioritizing research gaps, contributing to the nascent literature on systematic ways to identify research gaps. Objectives: The goal of this paper is to report on a gaps analysis of substance use disorder (SUD) research. Based on input from Military Health System stakeholders, we selected the following subtopics as priorities: alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid conditions, prescription opioids, and novel synthetic drugs (NSDs), including synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, novel synthetic opioids, and e-cigarette use. Methods: Statements of research needs were extracted from authoritative source reports. A work group of 13 subject matter experts then supplemented, consolidated, and refined the statements. Support for each statement was rated based on predetermined metrics to produce a list of high-priority potential research gaps. Work group members searched both published and ongoing research literature to determine whether these potential gaps were sufficiently addressed in the literature. Finally, to prioritize the gaps, work group members rated them on a set of metrics. Results: The work group reduced 175 statements of research needs to a list of 18 final prioritized gaps: nine for AUD, four for prescription opioids, and five for NSDs. For each topic, we present a prioritized list of gaps. Conclusions: This paper describes a method to identify and prioritize research gaps relevant to military and civilian research and presents the prioritized SUD gaps. Our methodology and findings can inform policy makers, researchers, and funding agencies as they consider investments in future research.