The article ”Identifying Research Priorities in Canadian Adult and Pediatric Critical Care: Results From a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership” was published in 2026.
Fiest, Kirsten M. PhD1,2,3; Krewulak, Karla D. PhD1; Rader, Tamara MLIS4; Bain, Hailey1; Burns, Karen E. A. MD5,6; Bergeron, Marie-Maxime1; Kho, Michelle E. PhD7; Lamontagne, François MD8; Lee, Laurie A. PhD9; McKenney, Shannon1; Menon, Kusum MD10; Reid, Marcia1; Russell, Kristine1; Sheffield, Holden MD11; Tsang, Jennifer L. Y. MD12,13; Murthy, Srinivas MD14,15; on behalf of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG)
1 Department of Critical Care Medicine, Alberta Health Services & University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
2 Department of Community Health Sciences & O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
3 Department of Psychiatry & Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
4 James Lind Alliance, Southampton, United Kingdom.
5 Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
6 Unity Health Toronto-St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
7 Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
8 Department of Anesthesiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
9 Faculty of Nursing, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
10 Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
11 Qikiqtani General Hospital, Iqaluit, NU, Canada.
12 Niagara Health Knowledge Institute, Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
13 Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
14 Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
15 Pediatric Critical Care, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Fiest, Kirsten M. PhD1,2,3; Krewulak, Karla D. PhD1; Rader, Tamara MLIS4; Bain, Hailey1; Burns, Karen E. A. MD5,6; Bergeron, Marie-Maxime1; Kho, Michelle E. PhD7; Lamontagne, François MD8; Lee, Laurie A. PhD9; McKenney, Shannon1; Menon, Kusum MD10; Reid, Marcia1; Russell, Kristine1; Sheffield, Holden MD11; Tsang, Jennifer L. Y. MD12,13; Murthy, Srinivas MD14,15; on behalf of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG). Identifying Research Priorities in Canadian Adult and Pediatric Critical Care: Results From a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership. Critical Care Medicine ():10.1097/CCM.0000000000007029, January 13, 2026. | DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000007029
Context
Despite advances in critical care medicine, many questions remain unanswered, and existing guidelines are often based on low-quality evidence. Following the James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology, this priority setting partnership (PSP) aimed to identify the top ten research priorities for critical care medicine in Canada based on input from patients, families, and healthcare providers.
Method
Participants contributed uncertainties through open surveys (phase 1), ranked questions through a national survey (phase 2), and achieved consensus on the final priorities during a virtual workshop (phase 3).
Results
Phase 1 included 154 respondents (44 patients/family members, 110 healthcare providers) submitting 509 in scope questions, resulting in 64 unique indicative questions. Phase 2 included 244 participants (63 patients/families, 191 healthcare providers), prioritizing 20 questions to advance to the final workshop. Phase 3 involved 24 individuals (12 with lived experience, 12 healthcare providers) from six provinces, who reached consensus on the top ten research priorities.
Briefly, the top three priorities were: 1) improving physical, cognitive, and mental health outcomes post-ICU/PICU; 2) supporting goals-of-care conversations with families; and 3) characterizing short- and long-term post-ICU outcomes and predictors. The full top ten priorities are presented in the article.
Conclusion
This national JLA PSP identified the top ten patient, family, and healthcare provider-driven research priorities for critical care medicine in Canada. These priorities aim to guide future research that is meaningful, inclusive, and evidence-informed.