Group Decision-Making: Delphi vs Expert Classification

The Delphi technique is based on a structured process for collecting and purifying knowledge from a team of experts by means of a series of questionnaires integrated with controlled viewpoint feedback (Janati, 2018). The Delphi process is anonymous and nonhierarchical so it can elicit open and honest views from disparate groups such as clinicians, researchers and, in particular, people with disability and their support network, without group pressure (Karlsson, 2021). The traditional Delphi method consists of five phases: preparation (Phase 1), content development on the relevant topic with an optional so-called round 0 survey (Phase 2), initial content evaluation based on statements in a round 1 survey (Phase 3), re-evaluation of content statements with feedback of all participants in a round 2 survey (Phase 4), and, if necessary, repeats of the pattern of re-evaluation until a consensus is reached (Phase 5) (Waldmüller, 2020).

Group Decision-Making Method Based on Expert Classification Consensus leverages subject matter expert knowledge within a group to make available data more relevant and useful in decision making by identifying the experts within a group and utilizing the consensus amongst experts to provide more accurate judgements of a decision-making process. By identifying the persons knowledgeable in the field being deliberated early on, the weight of influence the experts have can be quantified and more readily used for making an informed decision. The influence of the expert decision information on the final decision result can be directly reflected by the proportion of the number of experts in a class compared to the total number of experts; the decision result should be close to the consensus of most experts (Yang, 2020).

 

Janati, A., Hasanpoor, E., Hajebrahimi, S., Sadeghi-Bazargani, H., & Khezri, A. (2018). An Evidence-Based Framework for Evidence-Based Management in Healthcare Organizations: A Delphi Study. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 28(3), 305–314

Karlsson, P., Griffiths, T., Clarke, M. T., Monbaliu, E., Himmelmann, K., Bekteshi, S., Allsop, A., Pereksles, R., Galea, C., & Wallen, M. (2021). Stakeholder consensus for decision making in eye-gaze control technology for children, adolescents and adults with cerebral palsy service provision: findings from a Delphi study. BMC Neurology, 21, 1-24.

Waldmüller, H., Spreckelsen, C., Rudat, H., Krumm, N., Rolke, R., & Jonas, S. M. (2020). 360-degree Delphi: addressing sociotechnical challenges of healthcare IT. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20, 1-13.

Wang, L., & Xue, H. (2020). Group Decision-Making Method Based on Expert Classification Consensus Information Integration. Symmetry (20738994), 12(7), 1180.