Research priorities for vascular wounds: results of the Vascular Society GBI/James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Process

Long, J; Lathan, R; Sidapra, M; Gronlund, T; Chetter, IC; on behalf of the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland Wounds Special Interest Group

Abstract

Background: The management of vascular wounds is often a complex and prolonged process that impacts individuals’ quality of life, is challenging for clinicians and results in a significant financial burden to the NHS. UK wound care practices vary considerably perhaps because guidelines and treatment options are frequently based on low levels of clinical and cost effectiveness evidence. Therefore, further research is required but capacity is limited and funding is highly competitive. To address this issue, the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland (VSGBI) in association with the James Lind Alliance (JLA) undertook a national Priority Setting Process (PSP) for vascular conditions. This paper presents the results of this process, with a focus on the topic of ‘vascular wounds’.
Methods: A modified JLA PSP was implemented in three overarching phases: (1) a clinician-led survey to gather clinician research priorities; (2) a patient and carer-led survey to gather patient and carer research priorities; and (3) a consensus workshop to discuss clinician and patient priorities and agree a list of joint research priorities. Consensus was achieved using nominal group technique and a ranked ‘top 10’ list of research priorities for vascular wounds was established.
Results: In the first phase (clinician-led survey), 481 clinicians submitted 1,231 research questions related to vascular conditions in general. Of these, 36 wound-specific research priorities were reduced to three overarching summary questions recirculated for interim scoring. In the second phase (patient and carer-led survey), 373 patients and carers submitted 582 research priorities. Of these, 12 priorities were identified and recirculated for interim scoring. In the third phase (consensus workshop), clinician and patient priorities were amalgamated into 15 priorities for discussion. The final top 10 list of vascular wounds research priorities relate to: improving wound healing and patient quality of life, prevention of infection, assessment and diagnosis, personalised treatment and improving communication.
Conclusions: The top 10 wounds-related priorities demonstrate the research areas considered to be most important from the perspective of patients, carers and healthcare professionals. Researchers can now focus their efforts on addressing these important questions and funders should increase their investment to support new studies in these areas of greatest importance.

Citation

Long, J., Lathan, R., Sidapra, M., Gronlund, T., Chetter, I., & on behalf of the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland Wounds Special Interest Group. (2022). Research priorities for vascular wounds: results of the Vascular Society GBI/James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Process. Journal of Vascular Societies Great Britain and Ireland, 1(4), 110-116. https://doi.org/10.54522/jvsgbi.2022.027

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 19, 2022
• Online Publication Date: May 19, 2022
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Aug 11, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Vascular Societies Great Britain and Ireland
• Electronic ISSN: 2754-0030
• Publisher: Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 110-116
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.54522/jvsgbi.2022.027
• Keywords: Priorities; Research; Vascular; Wounds
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4051317