Research prioritization in hernia surgery: a modified Delphi ACHQC and VHOC expert consensus

Numerous clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements have been published in hernia surgery, however, there is still a need for high-quality evidence to address remaining unanswered questions. The aim of this study was to conduct research priority setting through a modified Delphi process to identify a list of top research priorities in hernia surgery.

A structured literature review of clinical practice guidelines was performed by the steering committee. Topics considered clinically significant, practical to study and lacking strong evidence were extracted and refined into a comprehensive list, then entered into a two-round Delphi survey for prioritization at the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) Quality Improvement Summit. In round 1, participants were instructed to select any topic that should be prioritized for future research. Topics were ranked according to the proportion of votes and the 25 highest-ranking topics were included in the second round. In round 2, participants were instructed to select only the top 10 topics for research prioritization.

Eleven clinical practice guidelines were reviewed. Eighty-seven topics were extracted by the steering committee and submitted for prioritization. After the first round, 25 of the highest-ranking topics were determined and included in the second round. A final list of 11 research questions was identified. The hernia types with the most research interest were inguinal and epigastric/umbilical hernias. Other topics of high interest were the management of diastasis recti, primary versus mesh repairs and expectant management versus surgical repair.

Our study provides a research agenda generated through expert consensus that may be used in the prioritization of the design and funding of clinical trials in hernia surgery.