OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to develop a critical appraisal (CA) tool that addressed study design and reporting quality as well as the risk of bias in cross-sectional studies (CSSs). In addition, the aim was to produce a help document to guide the non-expert user through the tool. DESIGN An initial scoping review of the published literature and key epidemiological texts was undertake...

A proposal for a possible upgrade around the FCA (the FCA*) based on Thin Gap Gas Chambers has been presented to DELPHI. In this note the detailed design of the FCA* layout is described.

BACKGROUND the aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Delphi method in preparing hypertension guidelines for family physicians in Poland. METHODS a two-round Delphi method was used to develop guidelines for management of hypertension by the College of Family Physicians in Poland. The respondent group consisted of 36 family physicians and 19 specialists. To assess ...

Our research group recently published a Delphi study that identified Canadian chiropractic profession research priority areas. At the same time, the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF) was developing their own research priority areas. In this commentary, we discuss the results of the Delphi study, compare and contrast these results to the research priorities of the CCRF, and report...

Background: Identification of hazards is one of the most important parts of industries’ strategies. This can be done using a hazard matrix as an applicable tool which can also rank hazards properly. Methods: In this study, the Delphi method was used to select best alternatives for a hazard matrix. All possible items were gathered and passed Delphi rounds, in which mean, median and standard dev...

This paper describes the results of using a modified Delphi approach designed to achieve consensus from eight discharge planning experts regarding the decision to refer hospitalized older adults for post-discharge follow-up. Experts reviewed 150 cases using an online website designed to facilitate their interaction and efforts to reach agreement on the need for a referral for post-discharge car...

The goal of a parallel program is stated as to reduce the execution time regarding the fastest sequential program solving the same problem. Parallel programming is growing due to the widespread use of network of workstations in high performance computing. MPI has become the standard for implementing message-based parallel programs in distributed-memory computing environments. On the other side,...

* This work has been partially supported by the Spanish CICYT under grant TIC97-0897-C04-03 Abstract The goal of a parallel program is stated as to reduce the execution time regarding the fastest sequential program solving the same problem. Parallel programming is growing due to the widespread use of network of workstations in high performance computing. MPI has become the standard for implemen...

AIM To report a multi-phase modified Delphi study conducted with carers and professionals to identify the priority areas for inclusion in an alert screening tool for carers providing support to someone dying at home. BACKGROUND Internationally, there is a growing emphasis on increasing choice for patients who wish to die at home which relies heavily on care provided by the unpaid family carer...