Service Organisation Top 10 Priorities (priority setting in association with the JLA)

A workshop was held on 9th July 2021 to bring together patients and healthcare professionals to jointly agree a priority list for vascular service research.  The results were as follows:

  1. How can regional vascular services best be organised and delivered to provide the best outcomes and experience for vascular patients?
  2. What can be done to ensure that GPs and other healthcare staff have a better understanding of vascular disease?
  3. What can be done to make sure that people with vascular problems get to see the most appropriate professionals as quickly as possible?
  4. What is the best way to help people with lifestyle changes such as diet, smoking cessation and exercise?
  5. How can awareness of vascular disease be improved amongst people with vascular symptoms and the general public?
  6. What can be done to improve communication between healthcare professionals and people with vascular disease?
  7. What can be done to make sure that everyone involved in treating vascular patients communicates better with each other?
  8. New and emerging technologies; how should they introduced and evaluated?
  9. What can be done to make sure that everyone gets fair and equal access to the best vascular treatment, regardless of individual characteristics?
  10. How can better treatments be developed for vascular conditions that do not require major operations?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

  1. How can pre-op risk assessment be optimised and fitness improved in vascular patients?
  2. Which tests are most useful for the diagnosis of vascular disease and where should they be carried out?
  3. How can specialist vascular nurses improve the experience for people with vascular disease?
  4. How can length of hospital stay for vascular patients be reduced safely?
  5. What can be done to make sure that the outcome measures used for vascular services address the things that matter most to people with vascular disease?
  6. How can the way people with vascular disease be better informed about treatment options, so that they can take a greater part in shared decision-making?
  7. Should current screening programmes look for other vascular conditions?
  8. What can be done to improve patient and public engagement and understanding of research?