A core outcome set for clinical trials of first- and second-degree perineal tears prevention and treatment: a study protocol for a systematic review and a Delphi survey

BACKGROUND: Perineal tear is a common consequence of vaginal births affecting females globally. Even mild perineal tears could cause short- and long-term complications for females. Though many studies of interventions to prevent or treat perineal tears to minimize the consequences have been conducted, there is a significant heterogeneity in the outcomes measured and reported in existing studies, which makes meaningful comparison difficult and makes the generalizability to clinical practice challenging. Developing a core outcome set (COS) could solve these methodological concerns. In this paper, we report a protocol to develop a COS for clinical trials of mild perineal tears, which shall assist in establishing the evidence base and implementation of effective measures to reduce the incidence and minimize the consequences of mild perineal tears. METHODS/DESIGN: The development of this COS will be guided by a study advisory group composed of obstetricians, midwives, nursing managers, service users, and methodologists. This study will include four stages: (1) a systematic research of the literature to identify outcomes reported in prior studies, (2) a semi-structured interview with key stakeholders to collect their opinions on important outcomes, (3) a panel of experts will be invited to conduct a three-round Delphi survey to prioritize these outcomes, and (4) a consensus meeting with key stakeholders to determine the list of outcomes included in the final COS. DISCUSSION: The development of this COS will provide international standards for the outcomes to be collected and reported in all clinical trials and audits of practice, which involve prevention and treatment of first- and second-degree perineal tears for women with vaginal delivery. This will facilitate comparing and contrasting of studies and allow for combining of appropriate studies with the ultimate goal of improved perineal care for women choosing vaginal delivery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the database of Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) on June11th, 2021 (https://comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/1884).