Identifying nursing research priorities in Vietnam: a modified Delphi study

Objective: There is no single study that has examined nursing research priorities in Vietnam. This study aimed to gain consensus from experts on the nursing research priorities in Vietnam.Methods: A three-round modified Delphi study was used in this study. A focus group discussion among experts was conducted in round I to identify the nursing research priorities(n=23). Data in round I were analyzed using content analysis. In round Ⅱ, participants were invited to rate the importance of each nursing priority topic in a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, which had a 74%(n=17) response rate. In round Ⅲ, the questionnaire was returned to the experts(n=17) until consensus was reached. Data from round Ⅱ and round Ⅲ were analyzed to produce mean score and final rank.Results: The top 12 research priority lists were identified, which included subthemes and areas of possible investigations. All priorities were classified into three groups in the rank order, namely:(i) nursing management and leadership, which included(1) nursing care quality,(2) management and leadership of nurse managers,(3) nursing image,(4) professional nurse competency, and(5) human resource management;(ii) nursing education, which included(1) knowledge-specific domain,(2) the linkage between education and practice, and(3) nurse teacher workforce;and(iii) nursing service, which included(1) adult nursing concern,(2) patient safety,(3) public health nursing concern, and(4) quality of life of patients and nurses.Conclusions: Consensus among experts was achiever, and the findings are considered as the basis of resources to the most essential research needs in Vietnam.

Research Priorities and the Future of Alfalfa in Latin America

Agro-food and agro-industrial systems in Latin America must anticipate future trends and ensure permanent adjustment ofresearch priorities to the evolving global needs. Innovations should follow the logic of productive chains, which are highly dependentupon knowledge and technology. Agribusiness sector needs to reinvent itself for efficiently providing new products based on stricterquality controls, traceability, and greater diversification. In the region, alfalfa has an enormous potential to be cultivated for multiplepurposes other than just animal products, going from pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry to human consumption. No singleorganization or isolated group of scientists hold alone the capacity to deal with increasingly complex and dynamic productionsystems in order to efficiently compete in a globalized market. These challenges require an interdisciplinary approach, not only to adomestic level but also to an international one. The present paper proposed the constitution of a virtual alfalfa network platform forarticulating and guiding alfalfa research efforts in Latin America. The network will focus on identifying the most important needs forLatin America, promoting an active interaction among educational and scientific institutions through collaborative research projects.The platform comprises four main research axes: (1) efficient production (agronomy);(2) animal production (diversified feeds);(3)quality and innocuousness applied (human feeding);(4) novel products (pharmaceutical and cosmetics). During the initial phase, theBrazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA, Brazil) and National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA,Argentina) will jointly coordinate the network.

The WHO African Region: Research Priorities on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Background: Many policy makers deliberating on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services need reliable evidence to make choices that benefit women, adolescents, children and the wider society. While universal health coverage discourse provides an opportunity to expand access through evidence based interventions, many gaps exist. Research prioritization has proved to be very helpful in identifying relevant areas especially in constrained resource settings. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the World Health Organization Africa Region research prioritization for sexual and reproductive health and rights. These priorities hope to guide the region for the next three years. Methods: We used the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative approach to identify priority questions among many potential areas for research prioritization on sexual and reproductive health and rights. The implementation process was organized in three phases. The first phase involved sending out an online survey to various experts with experience in sexual and reproductive health rights. These questions were received by a technical team from World Health Organization headquarters for review. 634 questions were identified for potential research and grouped into 12 themes. The second phase involved experts who reviewed the questions. The team merged questions with duplications, removed the questions that were out of scope and finally refined the wordings. In the final phase, experts worked in groups to score and rank top ten priority questions for each of the 12 thematic areas. Results: A list of 120 priority questions for sexual and reproductive health and rights were prioritized by 67 participants drawn from 16 organizations. Most of the priority research questions (45%) focused on the theme of gender-based violence, 35% prioritized services in sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings while 15% prioritized preventing unsafe abortion. 5% of the participants prioritized cervical cancer prevalence, prevention and treatment as a thematic area out of the questions in the top 20 research priority questions. Conclusions: Key priority research questions in sexual and reproductive health and rights were identified around five themes. The priority list will be of significance to World Health Organization regional Office for Africa and her stakeholders for the next three years.

Burden of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy:first estimates and research priorities

Background:Since the 1990s,evidence has accumulated of an increased prevalence of epilepsy in onchocerciasisendemic areas in Africa as compared to onchocerciasis-free areas.Although the causal relationship between onchocerciasis and epilepsy has yet to be proven,there is likely an association.Here we discuss the need for disease burden estimates of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy(OAE),provide them,detail how such estimates should be refined,and discuss the socioeconomic impact of OAE,including a cost-estimate for anti-epileptic drugs.Main body:Providing OAE burden estimates may aid prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas by inciting and informing collaboration between onchocerciasis control programmes and mental health services.Epilepsy not only massively impacts the health of those affected,but it also carries a high socioeconomic burden for the households and communities involved.We used previously published geospatial estimates of onchocerciasis in Africa and a separately published logistic regression model quantifying the association between onchocerciasis and epilepsy to estimate the number of OAE cases.We then applied disability weights for epilepsy to quantify the burden in terms of years of life lived with disability(YLD)and estimate the cost of treatment.We estimate that in 2015 roughly 117000 people were affected by OAE across onchocerciasis-endemic areas previously under the African Programme for Onchocerciases control(APOC)mandate where OAE has ever been reported or suspected,and another 264000 persons in onchocerciasis-endemic areas where OAE has never been investigated before.The total number of YLDs due to OAE was 39300 and 88700 in these areas respectively,based on a weighted mean disability weight of 0.336.The burden of OAE is approximately 13%of the total YLDs attributable to onchocerciasis and 10%of total YLDs attributable to epilepsy.We estimated that by 2015 the total costs of treatment with antiepileptic drug for OAE cases would have been a minimum of 12.4 million US$.Conclusions:These estimates suggest a considerable health,social and economic burden of OAE in Africa.The treatment and care for people with epilepsy,especially in hyperendemic onchocerciasis areas with high epilepsy prevalence thus requires more financial and human resources.

In an interconnected world: joint research priorities for the environment, agriculture and infectious disease

In 2008 the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases(TDR)commissioned ten think-tanks to work on disease-specific and thematic reference groups to identify top research priorities that would advance the research agenda on infectious diseases of poverty,thus contributing to improvements in human health.The first of the thematic reference group reports-on environment,agriculture and infectious diseases of poverty-was recently released.In this article we review,from an insider perspective,the strengths and weaknesses of this thematic reference group report and highlight key messages for policy-makers,funders and researchers.

Establishing research priorities in prevention and control of vector-borne diseases in urban areas:a collaborative process

Background:In 2015,following a call for proposals from the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases(TDR),six scoping reviews on the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases in urban areas were conducted.Those reviews provided a clear picture of the available knowledge and highlighted knowledge gaps,as well as needs and opportunities for future research.Based on the research findings of the scoping reviews,a concept mapping exercise was undertaken to produce a list of priority research needs to be addressed.Methods:Members of the six research teams responsible for the“VEctor boRne DiseAses Scoping reviews”(VERDAS)consortium’s scoping reviews met for 2 days with decision-makers from Colombia,Brazil,Peru,Pan-American Health Organization,and World Health Organization.A total of 11 researchers and seven decision-makers(from ministries of health,city and regional vector control departments,and vector control programs)completed the concept mapping,answering the question:“In view of the knowledge synthesis and your own expertise,what do we still need to know about vector-borne diseases and other infectious diseases of poverty in urban areas?”Participants rated each statement on two scales from 1 to 5,one relative to‘priority’and the other to‘policy relevance’,and grouped statements into clusters based on their own individual criteria and expertise.Results:The final map consisted of 12 clusters.Participants considered those entitled“Equity”,“Technology”,and“Surveillance”to have the highest priority.The cluster considered the most important concerns equity issues,confirming that these issues are rarely addressed in research on vector-borne diseases.On the other hand,the“Population mobility”and“Collaboration”clusters were considered to be the lowest priority but remained identified by participants as research priorities.The average policy relevance scores for each of the 12 clusters were roughly the same as the priority scores for all clusters.Some issues were not addressed during the brain-storming.This is the case for governance and for access and quality of care.Conclusions:Based on this work,and adopting a participatory approach,the concept mapping exercise conducted collaboratively with researchers from these teams and high-level decision-makers identified research themes for which studies should be carried out as a priority.

Cross-strait parasitological research priorities arrived at by historical tracking and advanced dialogue

To further enhance dialogue and promote cross-strait cooperation in the prevention and control of parasitic diseases,this paper reviewed the progress and current challenges in the cross-strait control and research of parasitic infections,based on three cross-strait meetings on parasitological research in the last decade.The major outcome of the 3rd Meeting of Cross-Strait Parasitological Research held in April 2013 was identifying the research priorities for parasitological research.

Research Priorities and Drilling Goals of Ocean Drilling Program

The research priorities and drilling goals of Ocean Drilling Program are introduced from two scientific themes. The scientific theme of dynamics of earth’s environment try to understand earth’s changing climate, causes and effects of sea—level change, and other problems such as global carbon cycle, formation of gas hydrates and submarine

Large-Scale Weather Systems: A Future Research Priority

A brief assessment is provided of both the case against and the case for assigning priority to research on large-scale weather systems （LSWS）. The three-fold case against is based upon： the emergence of new overarching themes in environmental science; the fresh emphasis upon other sub-disciplines of the atmospheric science; and the mature state of research and prediction of LSWS. The case for is also supported by three arguments. First is the assertion that LSWS research should not merely be an integral but a major component of future research related to both the new overarching themes and the other sub-disciplines. Second recent major developments in LSWS research, as epitomized by the paradigm shifts in the prediction strategy for LSWS and the emergence of the potential vorticity perspective, testify to the theme＇s on-going vibrancy. Third the field＇s future development, as exemplified by the new international THORPEX （The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment） programme, embodies a perceptive dovetailing of intellectually challenging fundamental research with directed application（s） of societal and economic benefit. It is thus inferred that LSWS research, far from being in demise, will feature at the forefront of the new relationship between science and society.

Supporting and strengthening research on urban health interventions for the prevention and control of vector-borne and other infectious diseases of poverty:scoping reviews and research gap analysis

Background:More than half of the world’s population currently lives in urban settlements that grow both in size and number.By 2050,approximately 70%of the global population will be living in urban conglomerations,mainly in low-and middle-income countries.Mobility,poverty,different layers of inequalities as well as climate variability and change are some of the social and environmental factors that influence the exposure of human populations in urban settings to vector-borne diseases,which pose eminent public health threats.Accurate,consistent,and evidencebased interventions for prevention and control of vector-borne and other infectious diseases of poverty in urban settings are needed to implement innovative and cost-effective public policy and to promote inclusive and equitable urban health services.Main body:While there is growing awareness of vector-borne diseases epidemiology at the urban level,there is still a paucity of research and action being undertaken in this area,hindering evidence-based public health policy decisions and practice and strategies for active community engagement.This paper describes the collaboration and partnership of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases(TDR)hosted by the World Health Organization(WHO)and the“VEctor boRne DiseAses Scoping reviews”(VERDAS)Research Consortium as they joined efforts in response to filling this gap in knowledge and evidence by supporting the development of a series of scoping reviews that highlight priority research gaps and policy implications to address vector-borne and other infectious diseases at the urban level.Conclusions:The set of scoping reviews proposed in this special issue presents a critical analysis of the state-of-the-art of research on urban health interventions for the prevention and control of vector-borne and other infectious diseases of poverty.The authors of the 6 reviews highlighted severe gaps in knowledge and identified organizational and theoretical limitations that need to be urgently tackled to improve cities preparedness and vector control response.The more pressing need at present is to ensure that more implementation research on vector-borne diseases in urban settings is conducted,addressing policy and practice implications and calling for more political commitment and social mobilization through adequate citizen engagement strategies.