Research priorities in emergency general surgery (EGS): a modified Delphi approach

Area of Science:

• Surgery
• Health Services Research
• Medical Research Prioritization

Background:

• Emergency general surgery (EGS) constitutes over a third of National Health Service (NHS) hospital admissions in England.
• EGS patients face a mortality rate approximately eight times higher than elective surgical admissions.
• There is a critical need to establish a research agenda to improve outcomes for EGS patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize research questions in emergency general surgery (EGS).
• To establish a formal consensus-based research agenda for EGS.
• To guide future research funding and collaborative strategies in EGS.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi approach involving multiple rounds of electronic questionnaires.
• Stakeholder engagement included healthcare professionals, research personnel, patients, and relatives.
• A 5-point Likert scale was used for prioritization, with expert panel analysis between rounds.

Main Results:

• Ninety-two initial research questions were proposed, with 47 progressing to the final phase.
• Seventeen research questions were identified as priorities.
• Priorities included condition-specific EGS questions, emergency colorectal surgery, non-technical skills, and health services research, covering peri-operative strategies and outcomes in older patients.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a consensus framework for the future EGS research agenda.
• This framework can assist in prioritizing research funding for EGS.
• It supports the development of multi-centre collaborative strategies within EGS research.