It is a structured communication technique which relies on a panel of experts
The Delphi technique is a method of collecting opinion on a particular research question
It is based on the premise that pooled intelligence enhances individual judgement and captures the collective opinion of a group of experts without being physically assembled
1. The experts answer questionnaires in two or more rounds.
2. After each round, a facilitator provides summary of the experts' forecasts from the previous round as well as the reasons they provided for their judgments.
Thus, experts are encouraged to revise their earlier answers in light of the replies of other members of their panel.
During this process the range of the answers will decrease and the group will converge towards the "correct" answer.
3. Finally, the process is stopped after a predefined stop criterion (e.g. number of rounds, achievement of consensus, stability of results) and the mean or median scores of the final rounds determine the results
Delphi technique has been used to assist with making recommendations regarding education and training for medical practitioners working in district hospitals in South Africa. The objective of this Delphi was to obtain consensus opinion on content and methods relating to the maintenance of competence of these doctors
Reference:
Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 23rd ed
de Villiers MR, de Villiers PJ, Kent AP (2005). The Delphi technique in health sciences education research, Med Teach. 2005 Nov;27(7):639-43.
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