Rankings of the shortlist of questions in the second survey and the final workshop
| Question | Workshop final ranking | Second survey ranking | ||
| Patients | Carers | Healthcare professional | ||
| How does a patient quality of life (QOL) change (eg, disability-free survival) following heart surgery and what factors are associated with this? | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| How can we address frailty and improve the management of frail patients in heart surgery? | 2 | 39 | 36 | 7 |
| How can we improve the outcomes of heart surgery patients with chronic conditions (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, renal failure, autoimmune diseases, and so on)? | 3 | 13 | 6 | 3 |
| Does prehabilitation (a programme of nutritional, exercise and psychological interventions before surgery) benefit heart surgery patients? | 4 | 27 | Joint 27 | 2 |
| When should heart valve intervention occur for patients without symptoms? | 5 | 26 | 11 | 27 |
| How does minimally invasive heart surgery compare to traditional open surgery? | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| How do we minimise damage to organs from heart-lung machine/heart surgery (heart, kidney, lung, brain and gut)? | 7 | 23 | 21 | 8 |
| Can we use 3D bioprinting or stem cell technology to create living tissues (heart valves/heart) and repair failing hearts (myocardial regeneration)? | 8 | 12 | 8 | 17 |
| What are the most effective ways of preventing and treating postoperative atrial fibrillation? | 9 | 6 | 25 | 9 |
| How do we reduce and manage infections after heart surgery including surgical site/sternal wound infection and pneumonia? | 10 | 11 | Joint 27 | 21 |
| Does enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) improve outcomes in heart surgery? | 10 | Joint 13 | 4 | |
| What are the long-term outcomes, including life expectancy, after heart surgery? | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| What are the benefits of heart surgery in older patients? | 14 | 9 | 11 | |
| What are the best cardiovascular medications for management in heart surgery (eg, ACE inhibitors, antiplatelet, anticoagulant)? | 8 | Joint 13 | 36 | |
| What are the best ways to prevent, diagnose and treat patients with acute aortic dissection (including long-term management)? | 7 | 4 | 16 | |
| What is the best strategy for managing acute heart failure after heart surgery (inotropic drug, mechanical support or intravascular devices)? | 36 | 38 | 12 | |
| How do transcutaneous techniques for heart valve surgery compare to traditional open surgery (TAVI vs AVR)? | 30 | 7 | 10 | |
| What can patients do (in terms of their lifestyle choices—exercise, diet, smoking, well-being, and so on) before and after heart surgery to improve outcomes? | 2 | 2 | 18 | |
| How can we improve the communication between the medical team and patients/carers regarding the risks and benefits of heart surgery? | 5 | 5 | 26 | |
| Does having access to specialist cardiac nurses or consultants by electronic methods improve outcomes for heart surgery patients? | 24 | 12 | 41 | |
| Do outcomes of heart surgery and follow-up time vary by postcode/location and how to reduce the variation? | 9 | 31 | 43 | |
AVR, aortic valve replacement; TAVI, transcatheter aortic valve implantation.