Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North Third Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China.
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2023 Nov 10;23(1):264. doi: 10.1186/s12874-023-02087-0.
Consensus methods are crucial in developing clinical guidelines. Different methods, such as the Delphi and nominal group techniques, are commonly used, but there is a lack of detailed instructions on how to implement them effectively. The survey aims to explore the opinions and attitudes of the chair, panel and working group on the critical elements of the consensus methods during guideline development.
We used a cross-sectional design to conduct this study and sent a structured questionnaire to stakeholders, including the chair, panel members, and working group participants, through the popular mobile phone application WeChat.We selected participants using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. The questionnaire gathered information on demographics, experiences, opinions, and concerns regarding consensus methods and guideline development.
The sample comprised 290 participants representing 31 provinces or municipalities. Among them, the most significant number of respondents (n = 107, 36.9%) were from Beijing. Most participants, specifically 211 (72.76%), held senior professional titles, while 186 (64.14%) adhered to ongoing guidelines. The Delphi method was the most commonly used consensus method (n = 132, 42.31%), but the respondents had only a preliminary understanding of it (n = 147, 47.12%). The consensus process also revealed the insufficiency of involving pharmacoeconomists, patients, and nurses.
Consensus methods have to be standardised and used consistently in the guideline development process. The findings of this study offer insights into diverse roles and more effective ways to apply the consensus process during guideline development.
共识方法在制定临床指南中至关重要。德尔菲（Delphi）和名义群体技术等不同方法通常被使用，但在如何有效地实施这些方法方面缺乏详细的说明。本调查旨在探索指南制定过程中，主席、专家组成员和工作组对共识方法关键要素的意见和态度。
我们采用横断面设计，通过流行的手机应用程序微信向利益相关者（包括主席、专家组成员和工作组参与者）发送了一份结构化问卷。我们采用目的抽样和滚雪球抽样相结合的方法选择参与者。问卷收集了关于共识方法和指南制定的人口统计学、经验、意见和关注点的信息。
样本包括来自 31 个省/直辖市的 290 名参与者。其中，来自北京的受访者数量最多（n = 107，36.9%）。大多数参与者（n = 211，72.76%）具有高级专业职称，186 名参与者（64.14%）参与正在进行的指南制定。德尔菲法是最常用的共识方法（n = 132，42.31%），但受访者对此方法仅初步了解（n = 147，47.12%）。共识过程还揭示了在指南制定过程中，药师、患者和护士的参与不足。
共识方法必须在指南制定过程中标准化并一致使用。本研究结果为指南制定过程中不同角色提供了深入的见解，并为更有效地应用共识过程提供了更多方法。
