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Developing a National Trauma Research Action Plan: Results from the Neurotrauma Research Panel Delphi Survey
Deborah M Stein1, Maxwell A Braverman, Jimmy Phuong
1From the Program in Trauma, University of Maryland School of Medicine (D.M.S.), Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education (J.P.), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Coalition for National Trauma Research (M.A.B., E.S., M.A.P., P.J.B.), San Antonio, Texas; Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic (P.D.A.), Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Child Health (P.D.A.), University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona; Department of Neurological Surgery (B.M.A.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (D.X.C.), Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia; Department of Orthopaedics, Augusta University Health (J.G.D.), Augusta, Georgia; Department of Anesthesiology (S.M.G.), Department of Orthopaedics (D.E.G.), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Neurosurgery (O.H.), Stanford University, Palo Alto, California; Department of Emergency Medicine (C.S.K.), Madigan Army Medicine Center, Tacoma, Washington; Department of Neurosurgery (R.S.K.), McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas; R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center (K.A.M.), University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Surgery (M.B.P.), Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Neurosurgery (C.S.R.), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Surgery (A.S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Critical Care Medicine (L.S.), Neurology & Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburg, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neurosurgery (A.B.V.), Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia; Department of Surgery (E.M.B.), Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
This study identified 56 high-priority neurotrauma research questions to guide future studies on severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), mild TBI (mTBI), and spinal cord injury (SCI). These findings will help prioritize critical research areas for central nervous system injury.
Area of Science:
- Neurotrauma research
- Central nervous system (CNS) injury
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Background:
- The National Academies called for a National Trauma Research Action Plan in 2016.
- Neurotrauma research was prioritized due to the public health burden of CNS injuries.
- A comprehensive research agenda was developed across the continuum of trauma and burn care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify gaps in neurotrauma research literature.
- To generate and prioritize high-priority research questions for neurotrauma.
- To guide future neurotrauma research and funding priorities.
Main Methods:
- Recruited interdisciplinary experts for a Delphi survey approach.
- Conducted four Delphi rounds to generate and prioritize research questions using a 9-point Likert scale.
- Coded 675 generated questions using a National Trauma Research Action Plan taxonomy.
Main Results:
- Identified 56 high-priority neurotrauma research questions from 675 generated questions.
- Prioritized questions focused on severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) (46 questions), spinal cord injury (SCI) (7 questions), and mild TBI (mTBI) (3 questions).
- 364 questions (53.9%) reached consensus, with 56 deemed high priority.
Conclusions:
- The Delphi gap analysis identified 56 high-priority research questions in neurotrauma.
- Clear research focus areas exist for severe TBI, mTBI, and SCI.
- Funding agencies should consider these identified gaps for future research prioritization.
