Development of a Quality Checklist Using Delphi Methods for Prescriptive Clinical Prediction Rules: the QUADCPR.

OBJECTIVE

Clinical prediction rules (CPRs) are clinician decision-making aids designed to improve the accuracy of a variety of decisions made during patient care. To our knowledge, there are no formally developed consensus-based guidelines designed to provide standards for the creation of CPRs.

METHODS

The study used a 3-round Delphi method for consensus of a quality checklist initially developed based on recommendations derived from the literature. The 9 Delphi participants were randomly selected from the authors of peer-reviewed publications of prescriptive CPRs.

RESULTS

During the 3 rounds, the Delphi participants modified the originally derived checklist and, based on a consensus standard, agreed upon a final 23-item checklist, which involved 4 constructs: (1) sample and participants, (2) outcome measures, (3) quality of tests and measures, and (4) statistical assumptions.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of the checklist has potential for improving the design and reporting of future prescriptive CPRs.