title: Delphi Consensus on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): evaluation by a panel of experts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood, which is frequently maintained in adolescent and adult age. It presents great clinical heterogeneity, significantly affecting the functioning of those who suffer it. Although drug treatments obtain results by themselves, the approach should be multidisciplinary and be adapted to the specific needs of each patient and his/ her family. Given the variety of drugs currently available to treat ADHD, there are diverse opinions on the most effective way to approach this disorder. The objective of this work is to study the opinion of an expert clinical panel and to know the professional criteria used to define key concepts and therapeutic guidelines of ADHD in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The project was carried out in four phases: 1) Constitution of a Scientific Committee, responsible for the preliminary biographic review and the formulation of the questionnaire; 2) selection of an expert panel of specialists with special interest and/or experience in the treatment of ADHD; 3) Likert type structured survey (online platform) in two rounds with interim processing of opinions; and 4) collection and final analysis of results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experts&#8217; panel achieved a consensus in 55 of the 58 items making up the questionnaire, finding 3 items in which sufficient unanimity of criteria was not achieved because of the high number of experts were found in positions of non-certainty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the experts of this study reached a high level of agreement in the criteria proposed in the survey, which could be generalized as indications for the clinical practice in the management of ADHD. Similarly, and given the dispersion of the results in some of the items and the lack of consensus in others, some points remain as object of discussion.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Psiquiatría Infantil y Juvenil, Hospital Universitario Mútua Terrassa. Barcelona.
authors.forename: Amaia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hervás
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neuropediatría, Instituto del Niño y el Adolescente, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos. Madrid.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Santos
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor en Madrid. Departamento de Psiquiatría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quintero
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital Clínico de Zaragoza.
authors.forename: Pedro M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ruíz-Lázaro
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría Infantil y Juvenil, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. Barcelona.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alda
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neurología Infantil, Hospital Universitario Quirón Madrid.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Jaén
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d&#8217;Hebron. CIBERSAM. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
authors.forename: Josep A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramos-Quiroga
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000628:therapy*; D032921:Consensus; D003697:Delphi Technique; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013030:Spain