title: Developing an interview guide to evaluate practice-based evidence in nutrition: use of the delphi technique.
abstract: An interview guide was created for qualitative evaluation of the impact of Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition (PEN) on dietetic practice, and its success as a medium for knowledge translation and transfer (KTT). The Delphi technique was used to bring together a diverse group of experts (n=7) with extensive knowledge in KTT and evidence-based practice (EBP); these experts developed the interview guide content. The technique is an effective means of gathering expert input to inform evaluation tool development, particularly in the absence of accepted evaluation guidelines or pre-existing evaluation tools. Although challenges exist with the Delphi technique, it is an adaptable method that can be modified to meet a variety of needs. During this project, the technique was modified to meet specific needs, including participants' partial anonymity and starting material to reduce the number of required rounds. The resulting interview guide contained open-ended questions focused on respondents' understanding of EBP and PEN, use of PEN by dietitians in other disciplines, perceptions of the quality/usefulness of PEN, and barriers to and facilitators of PEN use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hemming
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lordly
authors.forename: N Theresa
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Glanville
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corby
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thirsk
mesh_terms: D003697:Delphi Technique; D004046:Dietetics / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires