Systematic review of the Delphi method application in clinical medical education of China

Abstract

Objective To analyze the application of Delphi method in clinical medical education in China, to get acknowledge of the current status of implementation, to obtain the quality of research, and to propose improvements. Methods A systematic review was implemented to search the literature in China National Knowledge Infrastructure and MEDLINE database before February 28, 2019. The study design, questionnaire process, expert qualifications, results report and statistics were extracted by reading full text. Results All 35 studies met the inclusion criteria. Almost all of the experts had more than 10 years of experience. The response rates of first rounds were all above 80.0%. All 34 studies had ranked opinion intensity; most studies conducted an analysis of the degree of concentration and coordination. However, 40.0%(14/35) of studies did not define screening criteria; 77.1%(27/35)of studies did not give feedback; 97.1%(34/35)of the studies did not define quantitative criteria of consensus. Conclusions The process of Delphi method in the field of clinical medical education in China needs to be further standardized. Key words: Delphi method; Clinical medicine; Medical education; Application; Systematic review