Determination of required pharmacological knowledge for clinical practice in emergency medicine using a modified Delphi technique

Abstract

Aims: To identify the content of the national postgraduate pharmacology curriculum for trainees in UK emergency medicine.

Methods: Modified three-round iterated Delphi technique employing a participant panel of 160 randomly selected consultants in emergency medicine. Initial Delphi content was derived from objective analysis of pharmacy stock lists and patient record cards. The outcome measure was percentage agreement, among participants, to listed aspects of therapeutics as being core knowledge for autonomous clinical practice in the emergency department. A national curriculum document was derived from the study data.

Results: Response rates ranged from 66–76% after three Delphi rounds. From an initial overall questionnaire content of 526 discrete items, 59% was retained as core knowledge following iteration. The subsequent national curriculum document acts as a resource tool both for question setting in postgraduate examinations and for self-directed trainee learning before the sitting of these examinations.

Conclusions: Application of a national consensus methodology allows determination of curricular content in pharmacology as part of the development of a robust College educational portfolio.