Priority Setting Partnership on Placental Pathology: Consensus recommendations for placental research

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pathology
• Neonatology

Background:

• Placental disorders significantly impact fetal development and neonatal outcomes.
• Current understanding and reporting of placental pathology have critical knowledge gaps.
• Effective management of placental insufficiency requires addressing these research deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To collaboratively identify and prioritize the most critical unanswered research questions in placental pathology.
• To establish a research agenda for placental pathology to improve patient care.
• To bridge the gap between placental pathology findings and clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• An international Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) involving diverse experts in placental pathology.
• Two-round surveys to gather and rank unanswered research questions.
• Literature review to assess evidence for proposed questions.
• Online consensus workshop to finalize the top research priorities.

Main Results:

• Ninety participants submitted 270 initial research questions, refined to 32 overarching themes.
• Fifty-three participants ranked questions in the second survey.
• Consensus was reached on the top 10 prioritized research questions during a workshop.
• Key areas include causes, recurrence risk, reporting consistency, diagnostics, and AI applications.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified 10 high-priority research questions in placental pathology.
• These prioritized questions will direct future research funding and policy.
• Addressing these questions is expected to enhance clinical care for patients with placental insufficiency.