Description
The
ACCORD checklist is a new tool to guide the reporting of biomedical studies
using consensus methods when they are written up for publication. ACCORD aims
to improve the completeness, transparency and consistency of the reporting of
consensus studies.
In
this session, members of the ACCORD Steering Committee will explain why ACCORD
was needed, how it was developed, and how to use it most effectively. Attendees
will be polled on their views, challenged to critically appraise examples of
good and bad reporting, and have the opportunity to ask questions in a live
Q&A.
A
range of consensus methods are used in biomedical studies, but at present, many
are poorly reported. The first part of the session will therefore provide an
overview of key methods such as Delphi and Nominal Group Technique, how they
are used by researchers – including through adaptation and modification – and
how the variety of methods and approaches presents challenges to reporting.
The
second part of the session will describe how ACCORD was developed. Reporting
guideline development is an example of a type of work that often makes use of a
consensus process: the ACCORD consensus process will therefore be described in
detail, including the rationale for methodological choices such as the composition
of the consensus panel. In addition, this part of the session will describe
initiatives that have been conducted and which are planned to raise awareness
of ACCORD and facilitate its use.
In
the third part of the session, attendees will have the opportunity to critically
appraise examples of good and bad reporting by identifying what is missing from
shared examples. This part of the session will highlight key items from the
final checklist, and use examples from the forthcoming Explanation and
Elaboration (E&E) publication to demonstrate how the items should be
interpreted. This part of the session aims to equip researchers with the
necessary tools to improve the transparency and quality of their consensus
study reporting.
By the end of the session, Attendees will be able to explain:
• The
strengths and weaknesses of different consensus methods and the challenges this
presents to reporting guidance
• Why and
how the ACCORD reporting guideline was developed
• How the
ACCORD guideline should be used
Approved for 1.0 CMPP credit