Invitation to ISBI Delphi Project Toward Developing a Global Framework for Burn Injury Prevention and Control

29 January 2026

Dear Member of the Burn Injury Prevention Community,

We would like to invite your organization or a representative to participate in an online Delphi study coordinated by the International Society for Burn Injuries to develop a global framework for burn injury prevention and control, informed by your organization's expertise.

Why this study?
At present, no globally accepted framework exists to catalyze prevention efforts and align stakeholders across sectors around core pillars and action priorities. The Delphi methodology will allow us to systematically elicit your expert input and achieve consensus on framework elements among geographically and culturally diverse prevention practitioners, clinicians, researchers, industry professionals, and individuals with lived experience.

Your participation will involve completing multiple rounds of short structured online surveys as part of a Delphi consensus process.

Your participation and responses will be anonymous to everyone except the study organizers. Participation in all rounds will result in your eligibility for authorship on the framework and related publication.

How does the Delphi process work?
Across successive rounds, you will be asked to provide expert judgments, review anonymized group feedback, and rate items to facilitate convergence toward consensus. Each round is expected to require approximately 10–15 minutes to complete, depending on the depth of your responses. The process is anticipated to include 4–6 rounds of brief surveys.

Your individual responses will remain anonymous to the panel to minimize bias and ensure a balanced, equitable process. All panelists’ inputs are weighted equally.

Participation in all rounds will result in your eligibility for authorship on the framework and related publication.

What can participants expect?
This study will proceed in three stages:

Stage 1: Identify and refine the core global pillars of burn injury prevention
Stage 2: Define evidence-based, consensus-driven, and practical action items for each pillar
Stage 3: Review and reach consensus on the final global framework
Stage 4 (optional): Refine final global framework if consensus not reached in Stage 3

The resulting framework will be shared with all contributors and disseminated through international burn, injury, and public health networks.

Ethical oversight
The University of Washington Institutional Review Board has reviewed this project and determined that it is exempt from full review.

How can I participate?
If you would like to join the expert panel, please click the link below. The first survey includes an additional introduction, important definitions, and the first set of questions for your response.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SURVEY

Alternative link: https://redcap.iths.org/surveys/?s=889M34T4K77KNWWT

If you do NOT want to participate, please also respond to this email and write, “I do not want to participate."

If there are colleagues or partners whom you believe should be included, we would greatly appreciate their contact information.

Thank you for considering participating in this global initiative. Your insights will help shape a framework that advances prevention, strengthens systems, and supports safer lives worldwide.

If you have any questions, please contact our team at: globalburnprevention@gmail.com

With appreciation,

David Harrington, MD
President, International Society for Burn Injury

Michael Serghiou, OT, MBA, BT-C
Executive Director, International Society for Burn Injury

Barclay Stewart, MD, PhD, MPH
Chair, Prevention Committee, International Society for Burn Injury
WHO Liaison, International Society for Burn Injury