A Priority Setting Partnership for care improvement of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Ghana - A National Research Agenda

Abstract Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP) are among the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in Ghana. Despite the high burden, research priorities have been historically shaped by academic, funding, policy and industry actors, with limited engagement patients/survivors of HDP, carers and clinicians whose lived experiences offer critical complementary research insights. Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) address this gap by involving these stakeholders in co-identifying future HDP research needs. This study aimed to identify research topics for improving HDP care in Ghana, based on the perspectives of HDP patients, carers and healthcare professionals. A PSP was conducted by combining the James Lind Alliance (JLA) approach and the Research for Health Justice (R4HJ) Ethical Toolkit to ensure local relevance and ethical rigor. The process included establishing an Advisory Committee; administering surveys, reviewing the submitted uncertainties against existing literature and finalizing a shared Top 10 list of research priorities during a prioritization workshop.Between February and August 2024, 238 HDP patients, carers and healthcare professionals across Ghana submitted a total of 774 research uncertainties, distilled into 51 areas. A second survey by 243 participants narrowed the 51 areas into 25 interim priorities, which were refined during the final prioritization workshop into 10 priorities. The Top 10 priorities encompassed diagnosis timing and accuracy, pathogenesis, care provision challenges, awareness, mental health and coping, shared decision making, preconception care and drug adverse effects. Our integrated use of the James Lind Alliance method, Research for Health Justice Toolkit and extensive local engagement provides a model for ethically conducting PSPs in low- and middle-income settings and offers research priority recommendations from the key end-users.