title: Specialty Training's Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC): development of a questionnaire in a Delphi study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In postgraduate medical education (PGME), programs have been restructured according to competency-based frameworks. The scale and implications of these adjustments justify a comprehensive implementation plan. Organizational Readiness for Change (ORC) is seen as a critical precursor for a successful implementation of change initiatives. Though, ORC in health care settings is mostly assessed in small scale settings and in relation to new policies and practices rather than educational change. Therefore our aim with this work was to develop an instrument to asses Specialty Training's Organizational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A Delphi procedure was conducted to examine the applicability of a preliminary questionnaire in PGME, which was based on existing instruments designed for business and health care organizations. The 41 panellists (19 trainees and 22 supervisors from 6 specialties) from four different countries who were confronted with an apparent curriculum change, or would be in the near future, were asked to rate the relevance of a 89-item web-based questionnaire with regard to changes in specialty training on a 5-point Likert scale. Furthermore, they were invited to make qualitative comments on the items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In two rounds the 89-item preliminary questionnaire was reduced to 44 items. Items were either removed, kept, adapted or added based on individual item scores and qualitative comments. In the absence of a gold standard, this Delphi procedure was considered complete when the overall questionnaire rating exceeded 4.0 (scale 0-5). The overall item score reached 4.1 in the second round, meeting our criteria for completion of this Delphi procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This Delphi study describes the initial validating step in the development of an instrument to asses Specialty Training's Organisational Readiness for curriculum Change (STORC). Since ORC is measured on various subscales and presented as such, its strength lies in analysing these subscales. The latter makes it possible for educational leaders to identify and anticipate on hurdles in the implementation process and subsequently optimize efforts for successful curriculum change.
authors.affiliation: Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061 AE, Amsterdam, Netherlands. bank.lindsay@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bank
authors.affiliation: Diakonessenhuis Utrecht, Bosboomstraat 1, 3582 KE, Utrecht, Netherlands. mjippes@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariëlle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jippes
authors.affiliation: Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG), Mercatorlaan 1200, 3528 BL, Utrecht, Netherlands. sj.van.luijk@mumc.nl.|Maastricht UMC+, Postbus 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, Netherlands. sj.van.luijk@mumc.nl.
authors.forename: Scheltus
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Luijk
authors.affiliation: Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG), Mercatorlaan 1200, 3528 BL, Utrecht, Netherlands. c.denrooyen@movation.nl.
authors.forename: Corry
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: den Rooyen
authors.affiliation: Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061 AE, Amsterdam, Netherlands. a.scherpbier@maastrichtuniversity.nl.|Maastricht UMC+, Postbus 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, Netherlands. a.scherpbier@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scherpbier
authors.affiliation: Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061 AE, Amsterdam, Netherlands. f.scheele@slaz.nl.|VU Medical Centre, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, Netherlands. f.scheele@slaz.nl.|Athena Institute for Transdisciplinary Research, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands. f.scheele@slaz.nl.
authors.forename: Fedde
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scheele
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D003697:Delphi Technique; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D008511:Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires