Identifying research priorities for post-collision care in the United Kingdom: outcomes and methodological adaptations from the final prioritisation workshop.

Abstract

Background: Road traffic injury remains a leading cause of death and serious injury in the United Kingdom, yet the post-collision phase of care has received comparatively little research attention. The Road Injury Chain of Survival framework identifies five interdependent links where coordinated action can improve outcomes. To address evidence gaps across this pathway, we conducted the first UK Priority Setting Partnership focused specifically on post-collision care, following James Lind Alliance methodology.

Methods: A national open survey collected research uncertainties from patients, carers, bystanders, clinicians, emergency responders and policy stakeholders between July and August 2025. This was supplemented by a targeted literature review identifying research uncertainties from clinical guidelines and systematic reviews. All submissions underwent evidence checking using the BestBETs methodology. The Steering Group, comprising patients with lived experience, emergency service representatives, clinicians, and researchers, conducted interim prioritisation to produce a shortlist. A final prioritisation workshop was held in November 2025, using nominal group technique across three facilitated small-group rounds followed by plenary consensus. Methodological adaptations enabled structured remote participation for contributors unable to attend due to injury-related barriers.

Results: In total, 179 survey submissions and 73 literature-derived questions were consolidated into 57 indicative uncertainties. Following evidence checking and interim prioritisation, 23 questions proceeded to the final workshop. Thirty-nine participants reached consensus on ten priorities. These emphasised preventable deaths and critical intervention windows, recognition of occult life-threatening injuries, multi-agency coordination, technology-assisted bystander care, automatic crash notification, first aid training effectiveness, emergency call-handler decision support, inequalities in injury patterns and care, treatment of entrapped casualties, and patient-centred recovery outcomes.

Conclusion: This national Priority Setting Partnership provides an inclusive, stakeholder-driven foundation for research commissioning and policy development in post-collision care. The priorities highlight significant evidence gaps in the earliest phases of the care pathway and underscore the importance of addressing inequalities and aligning research with outcomes meaningful to survivors.

Protocol: Nutbeam, T., Leech, C., Baker, CE. et al Identifying research priorities for post-collision care in the United Kingdom: protocol for a road injury priority setting partnership. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 33, 203 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-025-01513-0 .