SURG-03. The COMBAT Project - Core post operative morbidity set for paediatric brain tumours

Background Brain tumours are associated with high morbidity both from the tumour and the medical and surgical interventions used to treat them. Currently, there’s no consistent way to track and report these complications, hindering research and comparisons between treatments. One solution is to develop a core adverse outcome set to stipulate the minimum post operative complications that should be reported. The COMBAT (Core Post Operative Morbidity Set for Paediatric Brain Tumours) Project will create a core outcome set of the most important post-operative adverse outcomes for children with brain tumours, harmonising measurement and reporting of these in clinical services and research. Methods and Analysis National and international stakeholders including patients, their carers, healthcare professionals and researchers will be invited to participate. A systematic review has identified adverse outcomes reported in literature. Qualitative interviews with patients and carers are underway to identify outcomes of importance to them. A consensus process of a two round Delphi survey created from the adverse outcomes identified from the systematic review and interviews will be carried out, with a consensus meeting held to finalise the COS. The final COS will be published and disseminated to encourage uptake. We are inviting healthcare professionals and researchers with experience in paediatric neuro-oncology to participate in the consensus process. We need your expert opinion on the most important complications to include in the final core outcome set. Discussion Establishing a common language will help us better understand and address the complications of brain tumour surgery in children. This core outcome set will enable more meaningful comparisons between different treatments, help us identify areas for improvement in the care of children with brain tumours and drive future research efforts.