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BACKGROUND: A proper application of the Delphi technique is essential for obtaining valid research results. Medical researchers regularly use Delphi studies, but reports often lack detailed information on methodology and controlled feedback: in the medical literature, papers focusing on Delphi methodology issues are rare. Since the introduction of electronic surveys, details on response times remain scarce. We aim to bridge a number of gaps by providing a real world example covering methodological choices and response times in detail. METHODS: The objective of our e(lectronic)-Delphi study was to determine minimum standards for emergency departments (EDs) in the Netherlands. We opted for a two-part design with explicit decision rules. Part 1 focused on gathering and defining

Background: Nationwide optimization of the emergency department (ED) landscape is being discussed in The Netherlands. The emphasis is put mostly on the num

Item does not contain fulltext, INTRODUCTION: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a serious health complication that develop as a result of pressure alone or pressure in combination with shearing forces. Although PUs are typically associated with older adults and chronic illness, acutely injured trauma patients may have a particular risk for the development of PUs. To prevent PU development or detect PUs in an early stage, skin assessment and PU classification should start during the ED stay, before hospital admission. The aim of this study was to assess the PU identification and classification skills of emergency nurses and emergency physicians and to evaluate the short-term effect of an educational intervention. METHODS: Twenty validated photographs were used to test identification and classification skills in a one-group pretest/posttest design, before and after an educational intervention with 54 emergency nurses and physicians. In addition, we assessed the interrater reliability of PU identification and classification. RESULTS: PU identification and classification skills and the multirater kappa improved after the educational intervention. Accurate identification improved significantly from 87.7% to 95.6% (P = .000), and classification skills improved significantly from 68.5% to 79.8% (P = .000). The multirater kappa for identification of PU increased from 0.63 to 0.82, and the multirater kappa for classification of PUs rose from 0.43 to 0.58. The most frequently misclassified photographs were those that displayed category 1, 2, and 3 PUs, which were usually classified as more severe. DISCUSSION: This study investigated the effect of an educational intervention on the interrater reliability, PU identification, and PU classification skills of emergency nurses and physicians when tested immediately after the intervention. Study results show that interrater reliability, PU identification, and PU classification of photographs all improved, but identifying the presence of a PU in a photograph was less chall

Item does not contain fulltext, INTRODUCTION: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a serious health complication that develop as a result of pressure alone or pressure in combination with shearing forces. Although PUs are typically associated with older adults and chronic illness, acutely injured trauma patients may have a particular risk for the development of PUs. To prevent PU development or detect PUs in an early stage, skin assessment and PU classification should start during the ED stay, before hospital admission. The aim of this study was to assess the PU identification and classification skills of emergency nurses and emergency physicians and to evaluate the short-term effect of an educational intervention. METHODS: Twenty validated photographs were used to test identification and classification skills in a one-group pretest/posttest design, before and after an educational intervention with 54 emergency nurses and physicians. In addition, we assessed the interrater reliability of PU identification and classification. RESULTS: PU identification and classification skills and the multirater kappa improved after the educational intervention. Accurate identification improved significantly from 87.7% to 95.6% (P = .000), and classification skills improved significantly from 68.5% to 79.8% (P = .000). The multirater kappa for identification of PU increased from 0.63 to 0.82, and the multirater kappa for classification of PUs rose from 0.43 to 0.58. The most frequently misclassified photographs were those that displayed category 1, 2, and 3 PUs, which were usually classified as more severe. DISCUSSION: This study investigated the effect of an educational intervention on the interrater reliability, PU identification, and PU classification skills of emergency nurses and physicians when tested immediately after the intervention. Study results show that interrater reliability, PU identification, and PU classification of photographs all improved, but identifying the presence of a PU in a photograph was less chall

Item does not contain fulltext, INTRODUCTION: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a serious health complication that develop as a result of pressure alone or pressure in combination with shearing forces. Although PUs are typically associated with older adults and chronic illness, acutely injured trauma patients may have a particular risk for the development of PUs. To prevent PU development or detect PUs in an early stage, skin assessment and PU classification should start during the ED stay, before hospital admission. The aim of this study was to assess the PU identification and classification skills of emergency nurses and emergency physicians and to evaluate the short-term effect of an educational intervention. METHODS: Twenty validated photographs were used to test identification and classification skills in a one-group pretest/posttest design, before and after an educational intervention with 54 emergency nurses and physicians. In addition, we assessed the interrater reliability of PU identification and classification. RESULTS: PU identification and classification skills and the multirater kappa improved after the educational intervention. Accurate identification improved significantly from 87.7% to 95.6% (P = .000), and classification skills improved significantly from 68.5% to 79.8% (P = .000). The multirater kappa for identification of PU increased from 0.63 to 0.82, and the multirater kappa for classification of PUs rose from 0.43 to 0.58. The most frequently misclassified photographs were those that displayed category 1, 2, and 3 PUs, which were usually classified as more severe. DISCUSSION: This study investigated the effect of an educational intervention on the interrater reliability, PU identification, and PU classification skills of emergency nurses and physicians when tested immediately after the intervention. Study results show that interrater reliability, PU identification, and PU classification of photographs all improved, but identifying the presence of a PU in a photograph was less chall

We explore heterogeneities in the determinants of innovating firms' decisions to engage in r&d cooperation, differentiating between four types of cooperation partners: competitors, suppliers, customers, and universities and research institutes (institutional cooperation). We use two matched waves of the dutch community innovation survey (in 1996 and 1998) and apply system probit estimation. We find that determinants of r&d cooperation differ significantly across cooperation types. The positive impact of firm size, r&d intensity, and incoming source-specific spillovers is weaker for competitor cooperation, reflecting greater appropriability concerns. Institutional spillovers are more generic in nature and positively impact all cooperation types. The results appear robust to potential simultaneity bias.