Title | Do practicing clinicians agree with expert ratings of neonatal intensive care unit quality measures? |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2012 |
Authors | Kowalkowski M, Gould JB, Bose C, Petersen LA, Profit J |
Journal | J Perinatol |
Volume | 32 |
Issue | 4 |
Pagination | 247-52 |
Date Published | 2012 Apr |
ISSN | 1476-5543 |
Keywords | Attitude of Health Personnel, Delphi Technique, Faculty, Medical, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal, Neonatology, Observer Variation, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators, Health Care, Research Personnel, Societies, Medical, United States |
Abstract | OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of agreement when selecting quality measures for inclusion in a composite index of neonatal intensive care quality (Baby-MONITOR) between two panels: one comprised of academic researchers (Delphi) and another comprised of academic and clinical neonatologists (clinician). STUDY DESIGN: In a modified Delphi process, a panel rated 28 quality measures. We assessed clinician agreement with the Delphi panel by surveying a sample of 48 neonatal intensive care practitioners. We asked the clinician group to indicate their level of agreement with the Delphi panel for each measure using a five-point scale (much too high, slightly too high, reasonable, slightly too low and much too low). In addition, we asked clinicians to select measures for inclusion in the Baby-MONITOR based on a yes or no vote and a pre-specified two-thirds majority for inclusion. RESULT: In all, 23 (47.9%) of the clinicians responded to the survey. We found high levels of agreement between the Delphi and clinician panels, particularly across measures selected for the Baby-MONITOR. Clinicians selected the same nine measures for inclusion in the composite as the Delphi panel. For these nine measures, 74% of clinicians indicated that the Delphi panel rating was 'reasonable'. CONCLUSION: Practicing clinicians agree with an expert panel on the measures that should be included in the Baby-MONITOR, enhancing face validity. |
DOI | 10.1038/jp.2011.199 |
Alternate Journal | J Perinatol |
PubMed ID | 22241483 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC3963391 |
Grant List | K23 HD056298 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States 1 K23 HD056298-01 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States |