Identification of clinical questions and outcome indicators of guidelines on prevention-oriented interventions for chronic heart failure using the Delphi method

Hui Jiaqi; Xu Fengqin; Zhao Junnan

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-4055.2025.03.02

Abstract：Objective To establish the clinical questions and outcome indicators the"Prevention-Oriented Intervention Guideline for Chronic Heart Failure",and provide guidance for the development of recommendations.Methods Based on literature review,expert interviews,and clinical research,a survey questionnaire was drafted to define clinical questions and outcome indicators for the guideline.The Delphi method was employed through three rounds of questionnaire surveys.Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019 and SPSS Statistics 24 to evaluate the basic information of the participating experts and their responses.The quality of consensus and reliability of the survey results were assessed through indices such as expert enthusiasm coefficient,degree of opinion concentration,coordination level,authority coefficient,variation coefficient,Kendall's coefficient of concordance,and Cronbach's alpha coefficient.Results A preliminary literature review led to the inclusion of 28 articles,defining the scope of clinical questions and outcome indicators.In conjunction with expert interviews,clinical investigations,and the results of three rounds of Delphi questionnaires,13 standard clinical questions were established,covering the three stages of the"preventive treatment"concept in traditional Chinese medicine,namely"prevention before disease onset,""preventing progression after disease onset,"and"preventing recurrence after recovery."Thirteen key outcome indicators were also identified,reflecting the clinical efficacy and disease progression of patients with chronic heart failure at stages B and C.Conclusion Clinical questions and outcome indicators for the"Prevention-Oriented Intervention Guideline for Chronic Heart Failure"were established through literature review and the Delphi method,providing guidance for the subsequent development of the guideline and offering a methodological reference for constructing clinical questions and outcome indicators in related guidelines.