Developing Consensus Wound Care Research Priorities Among Stakeholders in Canada: A Mixed-Methods Study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to identify consensus wound care research priorities in Canada. METHODS: A sequential mixed-methods approach utilizing a national survey followed by a modified Delphi technique was used to identify consensus research priorities. The modified Delphi process included 3 rounds of voting and 2 virtual workshops for stakeholder discussions. Stakeholders from the wound care community included patients, caregivers, clinicians of various backgrounds, researchers, industry partners, and Wounds Canada leaders. RESULTS: The first Canada-wide survey was completed by 91 respondents (75 English-speaking and 16 French-speaking). Respondents submitted 161 priority research questions that were edited for clarity and redundancy, resulting in 112 questions. Twenty-nine expert panelists participated in the Delphi process. Three anonymous panelist questionnaires and 2 remote workshops were carried out to generate 29 wound care research priorities. All questions were reviewed and rated by the panelists, with 23 questions ultimately meeting the 80% consensus threshold. CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholders are motivated to improve wound outcomes through evidence-informed changes and clinical innovations; however, no consensus existed among Canadian wound care stakeholders on research priorities. Through the findings of this work, which identified consensus wound care research priorities, targeted research activities, and strategic planning can be facilitated with a focus on expedited improvements in wound care.