Research priority setting in emergency care: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Priority Setting

Background:

• Emergency care research is crucial and evolving.
• Identifying and prioritizing research areas is essential for advancing emergency medicine.
• Existing studies on priority setting in emergency care require comprehensive synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of published emergency care priority-setting studies.
• To collate and compare methodologies used in emergency care priority-setting research.
• To identify and describe the resulting research priorities in emergency care.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework.
• Inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed articles in English (2008-2019) using multiple search terms.
• Databases searched: Scopus, AustHealth, EMBASE, CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE; quality assessed using REPRISE criteria.

Main Results:

• Forty-five studies were included, identifying 14 themes across 3 domains: emergency populations, workforce/processes, and clinical areas.
• Research domains included pediatrics, geriatrics, nursing, decision-making, trauma, pain management, mental health, and cardiology.
• Significant variation in reporting research priorities was observed; existing studies are often context-specific, limiting global agenda setting.

Conclusions:

• This review synthesizes current and future research priorities in emergency care.
• Future emergency care research priorities should consider specific populations (e.g., children, geriatrics) and subspecialties (e.g., trauma, toxicology, mental health).
• Rigorous frameworks and patient engagement are recommended for developing future research agendas in emergency care.