Velarde Crézé Camille, Duperrex Olivier, Lebon Luc, Faivre Vincent, Pasche Myriam, Cornuz Jacques
Department of Health Promotion and Prevention, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Route de Berne 113, Lausanne, CH - 1010, Switzerland.
Direction of Finances - Informatics Systems and Digital Transformation Unit, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Dec 18;24(1):3412. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20903-0.
Scientists can play an important role in policymaking by providing evidence and consensual expert opinion on the state of scientific knowledge. Delphi surveys have been widely used to develop consensus on a topical issue, yet not compatible with public health crisis situations requiring rapid decisions. We developed a fast-track Delphi process, providing experts with a structured approach to rapidly develop and quantify consensus in support of informed policy decisions.
We identified key elements of consensus-building techniques through a literature review and derived methodological procedures that served as the basis for the elaboration of the new process. Selected methodological experts provided advice on necessary adjustments. The process was pilot tested using a real-world public health issue.
The fast-track Delphi process is a hybrid approach between a conventional Delphi and the nominal group technique: one group session followed by two rounds of e-questionnaire, with predefined steps. We developed an ad hoc toolkit (REDCap templates, R code for analysis and production of reports, user guide) to overcome time constraints, which we pilot tested with experts. The feasibility test conducted in 18 days in the field of tobacco control demonstrated the applicability and usefulness of the process in real-world conditions.
We strongly believe that this fast-track Delphi process has the potential to help inform policy decisions in various types of crises, including emerging diseases or novel potentially harmful products.
科学家可通过提供有关科学知识状况的证据和专家共识意见，在政策制定中发挥重要作用。德尔菲调查已被广泛用于就某一热门问题达成共识，但不适用于需要迅速做出决策的公共卫生危机情况。我们开发了一种快速德尔菲流程，为专家提供一种结构化方法，以便迅速形成并量化共识，以支持明智的政策决策。
我们通过文献综述确定了共识构建技术的关键要素，并推导了作为新流程制定基础的方法步骤。选定的方法学专家就必要的调整提供了建议。该流程通过一个实际的公共卫生问题进行了试点测试。
快速德尔菲流程是传统德尔菲法与名义群体技术的混合方法：一次小组会议，随后两轮电子问卷调查，并设有预定义步骤。我们开发了一个临时工具包（REDCap模板、用于分析和生成报告的R代码、用户指南）以克服时间限制，并与专家进行了试点测试。在烟草控制领域用18天进行的可行性测试证明了该流程在实际情况下的适用性和实用性。
我们坚信，这种快速德尔菲流程有潜力帮助在各类危机中为政策决策提供信息，包括新发疾病或新型潜在有害产品。
