TABLE 3.
User-Friendly Summary for Using the Delphi Process in Intervention Adaptation
| Identify what original material is to be adapted, and for what purpose |
| -Who is the target audience? |
| Identify an expert panel |
| Determine who will be the experts—researchers, consumers, clinicians? |
| Estimate the amount of time needed from experts |
| Identify what material will serve as comparison to the original intervention |
| Existing interventions that have desirable elements? |
| Newly developed material? |
| Identify what form expert feedback will be in |
| Rating scales? (if so, develop) |
| Written comments/suggestions? |
| New material to be developed |
| Prepare Delphi process round 1 materials |
| Provide background/basic information to experts so they’re oriented and “on the same page” for the task at hand? |
| Provide original intervention and comparison material to experts |
| May need to break it down and/or organize it in “digestible” chunks (e.g., grouping similar-content sections so experts can make more specific comparisons) |
| Provide method for experts to relay feedback (rating scales, forms to organize written feedback, etc.) |
| Provide clear instructions for the task |
| Delphi process round 1 |
| Communicate a deadline for return of feedback |
| Be prepared to proactively check in with experts to address confusion or problems with delivery or materials |
| Process feedback from round 1 |
| Analyze ratings (if applicable) |
| Review feedback, identify areas of panel consensus and disagreement |
| Prepare summary report of feedback from round 1 to be used in round 2 |
| Respond to feedback by revising original intervention material |
| Prepare Delphi process round 2 materials |
| Provide summary report of feedback from round 1 |
| Provide newly revised intervention material |
| Provide method for experts to relay feedback |
| Provide clear instructions for task |
| Delphi process round 2 |
| Communicate a deadline for return of feedback |
| Be prepared to proactively check in with experts to address confusion or problems with delivery or materials |
| Process feedback from round 2 |
| Analyze ratings (if applicable) |
| Review feedback, identify areas of panel consensus and disagreement |
| Prepare summary report of feedback from round 2 to be used in round 3, if necessary |
| Identify areas of consensus for further revisions |
| If adequate consensus has been obtained, finalize revisions |
| If adequate consensus has not been obtained, conduct round 3 by repeating round 2 protocol |
| Revised intervention is ready to be tested in the field once adequate consensus has been obtained. |