The New Agenda for Neck Pain Research: A Modified Delphi Study

BACKGROUND: Though a large amount of research on neck pain has been conducted, no coordinated agenda has identified and addressed high-priority research questions. OBJECTIVES: To identify and rank the neck pain research priorities of neck pain researchers. METHODS: A total of 400 experts in the field of neck pain were invited to participate in this modified Delphi study. The study was conducted in 3 rounds. The first round aimed to identify the most important relevant questions that neck pain researchers should address. These questions were then categorized and ranked during the second and third rounds. RESULTS: A total of 117 experts agreed to participate (29% response rate). A total of 15 neck pain research priorities were identified. The top 5 research priorities were to (1) establish effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of available treatments for neck pain, (2) translate research evidence into clinical settings, (3) identify the effectiveness of education and self-care in prevention and treatment of neck pain, (4) identify causal factors in the development of neck pain, and (5) define the natural course and prognostic factors in people with neck pain. CONCLUSION: A new research-priority agenda was developed through a consensus process from a group of neck pain researchers. This agenda can be used as a guide for researchers and funding agencies to ensure that future research addresses the most important research questions in this area.