Overview for developing Delphi-based interdisciplinary consensus statements on imaging: pros and cons
08 lis 2024
O artykule
Kategoria artykułu: Review paper
Data publikacji: 08 lis 2024
Zakres stron: 1 - 6
Otrzymano: 01 lut 2024
Przyjęty: 02 mar 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15557/jou.2024.0015
Słowa kluczowe
© 2024 Tobias Johannes Dietrich et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Fig. 1.

Fundamentals of the Delphi Methodology: pros and cons
Fundamentals of the Delphi Methodology | |
---|---|
Pros | Cons |
Systematic and structured approach to consolidate, assess, and summarize limited scientific evidence, enabling a majority of experts to converge toward consensus | If experts lack sufficient experience, then the generated knowledge may be unreliable |
Balanced work between panelists – all panelists involved at various stages | If engagement of panelists is poor, then the quality of delivered statements may not be optimal |
Anonymity among participants to prevent any single individual or group applying too much influence over others | Bias may occur on the final consensus statements and discussion due to leaders who have access to all anonymized data |
Iterative rounds: Statements are presented repeatedly, allowing controlled feedback | If literature research has not been well-conducted and bibliography is incomplete and outdated, then the consensus statements may not be up-to date |
Informed decision-making: After each round, participants gain insight into the collective panel’s previous responses | If leaders are not objective, then bias to the consensus statements may occur |
Providing both individual and collective feedback between the rounds | |
Statistical group responses and a structured interaction inherent in the Delphi methodology | |
Potential to reconsider and adjust individual positions in subsequent rounds |
If experts are from a similar background, then the newly generated knowledge may not be generally applicable |
The higher the threshold for consensus, the more refined the questions must be in subsequent Delphi rounds to yield acceptance by the majority of panelists | The higher the threshold for consensus, the higher the challenge to yield consensus statements |
Determination of the maximum number of Delphi process rounds before the first round to yield a high motivation of the panelists for their tasks | Unnecessarily prolonged process of reaching consensus if the number of Delphi rounds is not initially determined – time discipline |
Inclusion of panelists from diverse countries ensures that consensus statements are rooted in a wide range of expert opinions, enhancing their potential generalizability across various health systems | Panelists consisting of subspecialized imaging specialists with academic backgrounds from a small number of countries poses a risk of bias against the viewpoints of non-academic imaging specialists practicing in other regions worldwide |