Knowledge elicitation for validation of a neonatal ventilation expert system utilising modified Delphi and focus group techniques

Objective, methods & materials, resultsIt is well known that ventilation strategies for newborn infants may vary significantly between individual doctors. The aim of this study was to elicit knowledge of ventilation management to provide a baseline for evaluating the performance of an expert system for neonatal ventilation (FLORENCE). The modified Delphi method and focus group techniques were used to arrive at consensus management strategies on 40 hypothetical ventilation scenarios. The underlying cognitive processes of the experts were also explored further to assist in the development of the expert system. The strategies arrived at were used to provide a performance level which FLORENCE was tested against. The solutions were judged to be equivalent between FLORENCE and neonatologists in 29 of the 40 cases. In the remaining 11 scenarios; FLORENCE also provided adequate solutions.ConclusionsThe focus group technique was more effective than modified Delphi method in achieving consensus on ventilation management. This consensus on ventilation was used as the baseline to evaluate the performance of an expert system.