Page 128 - Diagnostic delay of endometriosis

tests were used to explore differences in scoring behaviour between patients and professionals.
Third questionnaire round
The third questionnaire round started with an overview of the interventions selected in the first and second round. Participants were asked whether they agreed with this preliminary set of interventions selected by the expert panel. Furthermore, the panel members were given the opportunity to either select one additional intervention from the list of ‘no consensus’ items remaining after analysis of the second round or to agree with the current set of interventions.
Data analysis of the third round
An intervention was added to the existing set of interventions if ≥15% of the complete panel selected the item in the third round. The final set of interventions thus consisted of the selected interventions from the three subsequent rounds.
Fourth questionnaire round
Finally, all panel members who participated in at least one of the prior questionnaire rounds received an overview of the selected interventions by email. They were asked for their approval of the final set of interventions. The set consisted of interventions selected in the previous rounds. Four selected items related to indications for referral and guideline development were combined into one new intervention “Development of a guideline concerning menstrual complaints” in order to maintain the applicability of the intervention. Experts who disagreed were contacted to elaborate on their opinion.
Results
We invited 222 experts to participate in the expert panel, of which 81 agreed. The expert panel consisted of 26 patients and 55 professionals. The group of professionals was composed of 23 general practitioners (GPs), 26 gynaecologists and six miscellaneous or “other” professionals. The category “other professionals” was composed of two board members of the national patient interest group (one of them a patient herself), one behavioural scientist and lifestyle coach specialized in endometriosis (also a patient), a professor in patient-centred innovation, and two medical specialists who participate
126 | Chapter 7