Validation of the eHealthResp online course for pharmacists and physicians: A Delphi method approach

Abstract

Framework: The inappropriate use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections is dispersed worldwide, thus being a strong contributor to antibiotic resistances. As the use of educational interventions among health practitioners is shown to have an impact on judicious antibiotic use, an online course (eHealthResp) has been developed, especially targeted to pharmacists and physicians. Thus, the main goal of this study is to validate the contents of the online course eHealthResp. Methods: This two-round Delphi study involved the recruitment of a multidisciplinary panel (n = 19), to which the questionnaires of the first round were sent. After the first round, a report summing up the results has been forwarded to the panel, along with a new, reformulated version of the questionnaire. Results: After the two rounds of the Delphi process, consensus was evaluated. Six clinical cases and fifty-one treatments obtained minor consensus [60–75%] or full consensus (≥75%). The question on antibiotic practice has obtained a consensus >90% on both rounds. Conclusions: The validation of the contents based on experts’ consensus has been an essential approach to improve eHealthResp’s online course, as valuable feedback has been provided by the panel on both rounds.

Keywords

• E-Health
• Online course
• Delphi
• Content validation
• Respiratory tract infections
• Clinical cases