Research priorities for respiratory nursing: a UK-wide Delphi study

Carol Ann Kelly, Andrew J. Kirkcaldy, Melissa Pilkington, Matthew Hodson, Lindsay Welch, Janelle Yorke, Katherine Knighting
2018 ERJ Open Research  
Respiratory nurses make a significant contribution to the delivery of respiratory healthcare, but there is a dearth of nurse-led, practice-focused, published research. Using a modified three-round Delphi, this study sought to identify research priorities for respiratory nursing to inform a national research strategy. Study information and the survey link were sent electronically to members of UK professional respiratory organisations. Round 1 had 78 items across 16 topics, informed by a
more » ... ic literature review. Respondents suggested additional items which were content analysed to inform Round 2. Respondents rated all items and ranked the topics in all rounds. To ensure rigour, rounds had an explicit focus with pre-determined criteria for consensus (70%). In total, 363 responses were received across Rounds 1, 2 and 3 (n=183, 95 and 85, respectively). The top five research priorities were: 1) "Patient understanding of asthma control"; 2) "The clinical and cost-effectiveness of respiratory nurse interventions"; 3) "The impact of nurse-led clinics on patient care"; 4) "Inhaler technique"; and 5) two topics jointly scored: "Prevention of exacerbations" and "Symptom management". With potential international significance, this is the first UK study to identify research priorities for respiratory nursing, providing direction for those planning or undertaking research.
doi:10.1183/23120541.00003-2018 pmid:29692999 pmcid:PMC5909062 fatcat:ifmomm5abnhrjb7ru2lqj4ubgm