Top ten research priorities for Essential Emergency and Critical Care: A modified Delphi process

Critical illness leads to millions of preventable deaths each year. Essential Emergency and Critical Care (EECC) is a pragmatic, globally relevant approach designed to address critical gaps in basic life-saving care. This study identified the top ten research priorities to guide the development of EECC over the next five years. At the first global EECC Research Conference in November 2024, 46 clinicians, researchers, and policymakers representing nine predominantly high-income countries participated in a structured priority-setting process. Participants formed four thematic groups focused on the current state, implementation, impact, and refinement of EECC. Throughout five sessions, groups developed sub-themes, generated research questions, and identified key priorities. An anonymous survey was used to rank questions within each theme, followed by a final selection of the top ten. Participants developed 28 research questions across four themes. The final top ten included four on EECC implementation, four on its current state, and two on impact. No top-ranked questions emerged from the refinement theme. The top ten EECC research priorities focused on estimating the burden of critical illness and on implementing programs effectively. Advancing these priorities through collaborative research is essential to strengthen health systems and improve outcomes for critically ill patients globally.