Abstract
PURPOSE: To develop internationally harmonised standards for programmes of training in intensive care medicine (ICM).
METHODS: Standards were developed by using consensus techniques. A nine-member nominal group of European intensive care experts developed a preliminary set of standards. These were revised and refined through a modified Delphi process involving 28 European national coordinators representing national training organisations using a combination of moderated discussion meetings, email, and a Web-based tool for determining the level of agreement with each proposed standard, and whether the standard could be achieved in the respondent's country.
RESULTS: The nominal group developed an initial set of 52 possible standards which underwent four iterations to achieve maximal consensus. All national coordinators approved a final set of 29 standards in four domains: training centres, training programmes, selection of trainees, and trainers' profiles. Only three standards were considered immediately achievable by all countries, demonstrating a willingness to aspire to quality rather than merely setting a minimum level. Nine proposed standards which did not achieve full consensus were identified as potential candidates for future review.
CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary set of clearly defined and agreed standards provides a transparent framework for assuring the quality of training programmes, and a foundation for international harmonisation and quality improvement of training in ICM.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 385-393 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Intensive Care Medicine |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords*
- Accreditation
- Clinical Competence/standards
- Consensus
- Critical Care
- Curriculum/standards
- Delphi Technique
- Education, Medical, Graduate/standards
- Europe
- Group Processes
- Humans
- International Cooperation
- Quality Control
- Specialization
Field of Science*
- 3.2 Clinical medicine
Publication Type*
- 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database