Operating Department Practitioner’s Research Priorities: A Delphi study

With the 2022 Allied Health Professions’ Research and Innovation Strategy and the College of Operating Department Practitioners (CODP) joining the Council for Allied Health Professions Research, understanding the Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) profession’s vision for research and innovation and identifying its research priorities has become important. This Delphi study aimed to establish research priorities for the ODP profession. Questionnaires were distributed to ODPs using CODP and social media networks. Round One saw 49 eligible responses; this reduced to 21 in Round Two and 17 in Round Three. Thirty-one research priorities were identified by consensus. Priority rank was determined by mean score, percentage agreement, and coefficient of variance. By reaching a consensus, ODPs co-created research priorities and identified several themes that will contribute to professional development and patient care and support funding opportunities. The five key themes were Workforce Transformation, Education, Patient Safety and Experience, Innovation and Technology, and Theatre Culture.