Recently, the BHF CRC were delighted to facilitate a workshop that brought together patients, carers, and healthcare professionals to identify the Top 10 priority questions for hypertension research.
The workshop stemmed from a collaboration between the BHF CRC, and the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS) and was based on a shortlist of 15 questions emerging from a series of surveys conducted with individuals affected by high blood pressure, their families and carers, and healthcare professionals. By narrowing this list down to the most pressing research questions, the initiative aimed to help researchers focus on the issues that matter most to these groups, ultimately improving study design and fostering collaboration across the UK.
The workshop followed a model inspired by the James Lind Alliance (JLA) approach to research priority setting. The JLA method ensures that patients, carers, and clinicians are equal stakeholders in determining research priorities.
A total of 23 participants took part in the online workshop, including:
- Individuals with personal experience of hypertension, as well as family members and carers of those affected by hypertension-related health issues.
- Healthcare professionals specialising in hypertension, among which cardiologists, nephrologists, clinical pharmacologists, specialist nurses, pharmacists, and other experts in the field.
During the discussions, participants shared their perspectives and worked together to determine the most important questions for future research. Every viewpoint was valued equally, ensuring that the final list of priority research topics truly reflected the needs of those most affected by hypertension.
The outcomes of this workshop will now guide researchers in shaping studies that address the most urgent concerns of patients, carers, and healthcare professionals alike. By focusing on these identified priorities, the goal is to drive meaningful progress in the treatment and management of hypertension in the years to come.
The next steps involve developing research proposals based on the identified priority research questions, ensuring that these pressing issues are effectively addressed through future studies.
