Development of a consensus on the definitions and classification of cholesteatoma is essential for scientific community to exchange

A set of statements was developed by the authors utilizing the literature on the definition and classification of cholesteatoma. A questionnaire was sent to the members of the EAONO, inviting them to state if they are in agreement with each of the statements and if not, then to provide comments or suggestions for revision. Responses were evaluated and modified using online questionnaire and survey software based on the Delphi technique, a cyclical process of gathering information, summarizing, and re-submitting the revised statements to the same target population until a consensus is reached. Target agreement among the responders was set at a minimum of 80%, and the cycle of revision and re-submission of the statements were repeated until a consensus was reached on a majority of the statements. A steering group has been established to evaluate the results of the survey and worked via the process of cognitive debriefing.