Identifying Research Priorities in Canadian Adult and Pediatric Critical Care: Results From a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Despite advances in critical care medicine, many questions remain unanswered, and existing guidelines are often based on low-quality evidence. This priority setting partnership (PSP), following the James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology, aimed to identify the top ten research priorities for critical care medicine in Canada based on input from patients, families, and healthcare providers. DESIGN: Three-phase, national, JLA PSP. SETTING: Canada-wide, involving adult and PICUs. SUBJECTS: Patients with lived experience of critical illness, family members of ICU patients, and healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Participants contributed uncertainties through open surveys (phase 1), ranked questions through a national survey (phase 2), and achieved consensus on the final priorities during a virtual workshop (phase 3). Phase 1 included 154 respondents (44 patients/family members, 110 healthcare providers) submitting 509 in scope questions, resulting in 64 unique indicative questions. Phase 2 included 244 participants (63 patients/families, 191 healthcare providers), prioritizing 20 questions to advance to the final workshop. Phase 3 involved 24 individuals (12 with lived experience, 12 healthcare providers) from six provinces, who reached consensus on the top ten research priorities. Briefly, the top three priorities were: 1) improving physical, cognitive, and mental health outcomes post-ICU/PICU; 2) supporting goals-of-care conversations with families; and 3) characterizing short- and long-term post-ICU outcomes and predictors. The full top ten priorities are presented in the article. CONCLUSIONS: This national JLA PSP identified the top ten patient, family, and healthcare provider-driven research priorities for critical care medicine in Canada. These priorities aim to guide future research that is meaningful, inclusive, and evidence-informed.
Source: Critical Care Medicine
Authors: Kirsten M. Fiest, Karla D. Krewulak, Tamara Rader, Hailey Bain, Karen E. A. Burns, Marie-Maxime Bergeron, Michelle E. Kho, François Lamontagne, Laurie A. Lee, Shannon McKenney, Kusum Menon, Marcia Reid, Kristine Russell, Holden Sheffield, Jennifer L. Y. Tsang, Srinivas Murthy, on behalf of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG)
Institutions: Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, O'Brien Institute for Public Health, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Unity Health Toronto, McMaster University, Université de Sherbrooke, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Niagara Health System, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7123850516