Objectives: To introduce certain critical aspects in the design, planning and implementation of a research priority setting exercise and to discuss practical issues related to evidence-informed research priority.
Description: Healthcare research is increasingly becoming more complex and resource consuming. Coupled with the need for increased accountability for public spending, there is an increased interest in research priority setting. However research priority setting by itself can be resource-consuming and needs thought and planning. Through this workshop we expect participants to become aware of the basic structure and critical elements of a research priority setting exercise, different strategies that are available to prioritise topics for research, and the resource implications and planning required for it.
The workshop will start with two presentations: 1) Methods of research priority setting - basic structure and critical elements of research priority setting processes; 2) Logistics of research priority setting – human resources and budgeting required for research priority setting and its output, evaluation and tracking impact.
This will be followed by a hands-on exercise in which participants are put into groups. These groups will be given a report of different types of research priority setting exercises relevant to Cochrane Groups along with a critical appraisal sheet to guide the groups to reflect critically on the conduct of a priority setting process.