Establishing Research Priorities in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Data-driven and Stakeholder-informed Approach

Setting research priorities is essential for optimizing healthcare resource allocation and addressing critical health challenges. We sought to identify data-driven clinical and health service research priorities for the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman.

We used a multi-step approach combined with retrospective electronic health record (EHR) analysis with structured and unstructured stakeholder consultations. Findings were validated using the Delphi method through online surveys and face-to-face discussions with 10 key hospital decision-makers.

Analysis of EHR data from 652?%567 inpatient admissions over 14 years identified pregnancy-related conditions (25.0%) as the leading cause of hospitalization, followed by circulatory system disease (10.4%) and cancers (8.6%), with breast and colon cancers being the most prevalent. Septicemia, pneumonia, and myocardial infarction were the leading causes of death. Stakeholder consultations emphasized patient-centered care, telemedicine, operational efficiency, and artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics as key health service research priorities. Delphi validation confirmed high relevance (scoring 4?"5 on a 5-point scale), although feasibility concerns were noted, particularly regarding resource allocation and information technology infrastructure.

Our study established research priorities for the Royal Hospital by integrating clinical data analysis with stakeholder engagement to align research efforts with Oman?(tm)s Health Vision 2050. Effective implementation will require a hospital-wide research steering committee to oversee execution, integrate research themes into funding strategies, and enhance data-driven decision-making through artificial intelligence and EHR dashboards. Sustaining momentum necessitates annual reviews with leadership, cross-department collaboration, and capacity-building programs. For long-term sustainability, dedicated hospital funding and public-private partnerships should be explored.