Identifying patient safety research priorities in a Norwegian hospital setting through a modified James Lind Alliance process

BackgroundPatient safety remains a global priority, yet adverse events persist due to gaps in communication, information, training and safety culture. Rapid response systems standardise observation models are widely used to recognise deterioration and guide escalation and response for ward patients in hospitals. A notable gap concerns the role of planning for further care, can improve hospital resource prioritisation as healthcare professionals respond to patients deterioration in daily practice. Engaging healthcare professionals as key stakeholders to ensure relevance, we identified unanswered research questions on hospital patient safety and rapid response systems and prioritised the top ten research needs. Aim and methodsWe conducted a hospital-tailored, modified James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership (JLA PSP) with healthcare professionals as key stakeholders to identify and prioritise rapid response system related patient safety research needs and evidence uncertainties. The modified JLA process included five stages: (1) establish the Priority Setting Partnership; (2) identify uncertainties; (3) summarise and refine submissions with evidence checks. (4) priority setting; and (5) verify and finalise a top ten list, with evidence checks and project-group oversight throughout. ResultsA modified JLA PSP resulted in the stakeholders co-producing a list of research priorities. The top three priorities addressed implementation strategies, intervention effectiveness, and optimising hospital patient safety through clinical protocols and rapid response system activation thresholds. Additional priorities addressed ethical, educational, and organisational factors, highlighting evidence gaps which recognised and responded to patient deterioration and the need for safer transitions across levels of hospital care. The modified JLA PSP was feasible for co-producing a clinically relevant, practice-oriented research agenda. ConclusionsA transparent, systematic, stakeholder-driven process generated hospital patient safety research priorities for rapid response systems that reflect stakeholder needs and target key evidence gaps guiding future research and strengthening patient safety practice in hospitals and, in primary care.