Table 4.
Top 20 research questions for LMICs (n = 109) with scores for each criterion, overall weighted RPS, and AEA
| Rank | Research questions | Domain | Answerability intermediate RPS | Effectiveness intermediate RPS | Deliverability intermediate RPS | Burden intermediate RPS | Equity intermediate RPS | Weighted RPS | AEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
What are the barriers and challenges of implementing facility-based KMC in LMICs? |
HPSR |
0.984 |
0.952 |
0.945 |
0.747 |
0.895 |
0.903 |
0.847 |
| 2 |
How does the presence of skilled birth and neonatal care attendants influence survival outcomes for babies? |
HPSR |
0.928 |
0.944 |
0.923 |
0.737 |
0.918 |
0.888 |
0.823 |
| 3 |
How can referral network and systems be strengthened for timely referral of women experiencing obstetric emergencies (including preterm labour) from rural/primary care to higher care level facilities in LMICs? |
HPSR |
0.923 |
0.934 |
0.884 |
0.712 |
0.959 |
0.880 |
0.809 |
| 4 |
How to promote early initiation and exclusive breast feeding of preterm, LBW and SGA infants in LMICs? |
RIEI |
0.916 |
0.943 |
0.929 |
0.706 |
0.871 |
0.871 |
0.800 |
| 5 |
How can transport and referral systems for preterm, LBW, SGA newborns be improved or maximised in LMICs? |
HPSR |
0.936 |
0.912 |
0.877 |
0.721 |
0.920 |
0.871 |
0.813 |
| 6 |
Assess the effectiveness of community-based KMC in reducing neonatal mortality of clinically stable preterm and LBW infants? |
HPSR |
0.944 |
0.929 |
0.907 |
0.698 |
0.879 |
0.870 |
0.810 |
| 7 |
What is the prevalence and cause of neonatal sepsis in preterm, LBW and SGA infants in LMICs? |
EPI |
0.952 |
0.897 |
0.895 |
0.720 |
0.876 |
0.866 |
0.787 |
| 8 |
How can acceptability and compliance of KMC be increased in LMICs? |
RIEI |
0.911 |
0.926 |
0.921 |
0.720 |
0.851 |
0.865 |
0.789 |
| 9 |
What are barriers and challenges to improving existing skin-to-skin practice in LMICs? |
HPSR |
0.961 |
0.928 |
0.938 |
0.662 |
0.819 |
0.860 |
0.807 |
| 10 |
What are the clinical outcomes of preterm newborns discharged to continue KMC at home? |
EPI |
0.950 |
0.897 |
0.920 |
0.653 |
0.880 |
0.857 |
0.798 |
| 11 |
Evaluate interventions to screen women at risk of PTB during ANC (e.g. anaemia, preeclampsia, NCDs, malnutrition) and improve maternal and newborn outcomes in LMICs. |
HPSR |
0.927 |
0.893 |
0.894 |
0.660 |
0.877 |
0.847 |
0.769 |
| 12 |
Develop effective strategies to improve post discharge follow-up of preterm, LBW and SGA infants in LMICs. |
RDNI |
0.910 |
0.885 |
0.865 |
0.677 |
0.878 |
0.841 |
0.756 |
| 13 |
What are barriers of doing ROP screening for all eligible preterm babies in LMICs? |
HPSR |
0.966 |
0.907 |
0.838 |
0.686 |
0.803 |
0.840 |
0.761 |
| 14 |
Assess the impact of quality improvement initiatives in improving KMC counselling. |
HPSR |
0.905 |
0.912 |
0.920 |
0.634 |
0.839 |
0.839 |
0.779 |
| 15 |
How can we provide safe and effective phototherapy for premature neonates in LMICs? |
RIEI |
0.922 |
0.912 |
0.861 |
0.655 |
0.855 |
0.839 |
0.777 |
| 16 |
What intervention packages can be developed to manage premature and small infants with neonatal jaundice in LMICs? |
RDNI |
0.894 |
0.898 |
0.889 |
0.701 |
0.809 |
0.837 |
0.771 |
| 17 |
Evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of QI activities in improving care of preterm babies at health facilities in LMICs. |
HPSR |
0.886 |
0.893 |
0.865 |
0.695 |
0.847 |
0.836 |
0.746 |
| 18 |
What is the effect of nutritional status (e.g. underweight, overweight and obesity, micronutrient deficiency etc.) on LBW, SGA and PTB in LMICs? |
EPI |
0.931 |
0.868 |
0.885 |
0.671 |
0.832 |
0.835 |
0.755 |
| 19 |
Explore barriers and facilitators to antenatal steroid use in public health facilities in LMICs. |
HPSR |
0.921 |
0.898 |
0.902 |
0.669 |
0.782 |
0.833 |
0.766 |
| 20 | Evaluate the use of digital technologies (e.g. mobile phone etc.) to improve follow-up of preterm babies after discharge from health facilities. | RIEI | 0.935 | 0.876 | 0.872 | 0.646 | 0.838 | 0.831 | 0.757 |
LMICs – low and middle-income countries, KMC - Kangaroo Mother Care, RPS – research priority scores, AEA – average expert agreement, HPSR – health policy and systems research, EPI – epidemiological research, ANC – anteanatal care, RIEI – research to improve existing interventions, RDNI – research to develop new interventions, LBW – low birth weight, SGA – small for gestational age, PTB – preterm birth, ROP – retinopathy of prematurity, QI – quality improvement