Table 1.

Steps in the Expert Panel Process

1.	Draft survey to elicit experts’ narrative feedback and ratings for each technical domain
2.	Distribute draft survey to panel; incorporate their feedback in revising the final survey
3.	Distribute final survey to panel, giving panelists about 2 weeks to complete and return them
4.	Email individual panelists for clarification and elaboration on specific responses
5.	Collate, de-identify findings, and perform initial analysis to identify key themes
6.	Distribute de-identified findings to participating panelists
7.	Conduct a conference call (audiotaped) to discuss areas of disagreement and elicit more detailed information focused on key themes
8.	Qualitative analysis of narrative responses and transcripts using Atlas.ti (v5.0)
9.	Follow-up questions to clarify areas of ambiguity