Identifying Common Patient-Oriented Priorities for Child and Adolescent Health Research and Care: A Systematic Review of Priority Setting Partnerships.

CONTEXT

James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) bring together patients, clinicians and carers (e.g., parents, guardians or family members) to identify the most important questions in specific areas of health research. The inclusion of diverse perspectives in PSPs can inform priority-guided investment in child health.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to explore top priority areas identified in JLA PSPs across a range of child health conditions.

EVIDENCE REVIEW

This systematic review was designed to capture JLA PSPs conducted on health topics relevant to children and youth. Database searches were run in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and APA PsycINFO, and a grey literature search was conducted on the JLA's official website for reports published up to 1 August 2023. English-language articles adhering to, or adapting from, the JLA PSP methodology were eligible for inclusion if they focused on child and youth health, development and well-being. A thematic synthesis was conducted to explore common themes amongst all the top 10 lists.

MAIN RESULTS

The systematic review identified 42 unique PSPs focused on child and youth health published from 2010 onwards. A total of 578 priorities were analysed across the top 10 priority lists. While the identified PSPs were conducted over a broad range of child health topic areas (e.g., general well-being, mental health, neurodevelopmental, and acute and chronic conditions), 18 common themes were identified across the top 10 priority lists.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Our findings provide an overview of the JLA PSP process and common areas of interest in child health research. This study can guide health research funding, health system responsiveness and policymakers' actions for widescale improvement in child and youth health.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

A person with lived experience who is also an expert in patient partnership and has been involved in multiple JLA PSPs was engaged as a compensated member of the project team. They were involved in the initial idea for the review, the design of the review question and methodology, the analysis and interpretation of the review findings, and co-authorship of the manuscript.