title: A survey study identified global research priorities for decreasing maternal mortality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize research gaps to help decrease maternal mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a two-stage survey. We provided participants (Cochrane Collaboration experts) with a list of 319 problem/population, intervention, comparison, and outcome questions built from 178 Cochrane systematic reviews. Questions were classified according to causes of maternal death. Respondents of the first round refined the research questions and prioritized them by eliminating those that were considered of low priority, according to four criteria. They also included additional questions. In the second round, respondents prioritized 62 questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rates for the first and second rounds were 47% (73 of 155) and 17% (363 of 2,121), respectively. Participants ranked 62 of the research questions as "very relevant." Approximately 20% of all questions that were identified in Cochrane reviews and two-third of questions of the second round were considered of "very high priority." More women (235) than men (128) participated in the survey. We did not find statistically significant differences when comparing the groups of very relevant questions by the type of respondent, income, country, and round.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified research priorities by mapping and improving the understanding of research needs in low- and middle-income settings internationally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Systems and Services, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 525 23rd St NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA. Electronic address: chapmane@paho.org.
authors.forename: Evelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Systems and Services, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 525 23rd St NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reveiz
authors.affiliation: Community Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sangalang
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manu
authors.affiliation: Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, IIB Sant Pau, CIBERESP, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Sant Antoni M Claret 167 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bonfill
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Francisco Salazar 1145, Temuco 4811230, Araucanía, Chile; CIGES, School of Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Francisco Salazar 1145, Temuco 4811230, Araucanía, Chile.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Centro Rosarino de Estudios Perinatales (CREP), Santa Fe, Moreno 878 6to Piso - Rosario CP S2000DKR - Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abalos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: MDGs; Maternal mortality; Prioritization; Research; Survey; Systematic review