OBJECTIVE: Supportive anthroposophic therapies are used to treat children with pseudocroup by pediatricians in outpatient and inpatient settings. Anthroposophic treatment comprises forms of creative therapies, external applications as well as remedies, which production is based on the knowledge of the human being, nature and substances. A scientifically based guideline for these therapies is lacking. Due to insufficient study situation, we developed a consensus-based guideline to make therapy decisions more transparent and facilitate clinical routine.
METHODS: An online Delphi process with 67 anthroposophic pediatricians was conducted. Recommendations were accepted when reaching more than 75 % of expert agreement; otherwise, recommendations were revised and assessed by the experts once again.
RESULTS: Recommendations for general interventions and for anthroposophic remedies (Bryonia/Spongia comp.; Larynx/Apis comp.) as well as for external applications (embrocation with lavender oil) were developed. Recommendations have a consensus of 96.4 % or more.
CONCLUSIONS: The consensus-based guideline provides practical recommendations for the supportive anthroposophic therapies for pseudocroup. The implementation and practicability of this guideline has to be investigated.

Recent growth in the functionality and use of technology has prompted an increased interest in the potential for remote or decentralized clinical trials in dementia. There are many potential benefits associated with decentralized medication trials, but we currently lack specific recommendations for their delivery in the dementia field.
A modified Delphi method engaged an expert panel to develop recommendations for the conduct of decentralized medication trials in dementia prevention. A working group of researchers and clinicians with expertise in dementia trials further refined the recommendations.
Overall, the recommendations support the delivery of decentralized trials in dementia prevention provided adequate safety checks and balances are included. A total of 40 recommendations are presented, spanning aspects of decentralized clinical trials, including safety, dispensing, outcome assessment, and data collection.
These recommendations provide an accessible, pragmatic guide for the design and conduct of remote medication trials for dementia prevention.
Clinical trials of medication have begun adopting decentralized approaches. Researchers in the field lack guidance on what would be appropriate circumstances and frameworks for what would be appropriate circumstances and frameworks for the use of decentralized trial methods in dementia prevention. The present report provides consensus-based expert recommendations for decentralized clinical trials for dementia prevention.

Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) services are at the heart of recovery plans for Emergency Care in the National Health Service. There are no validated metrics for the quality of care in SDEC. The Society for Acute Medicine\'s Quality Improvement Committee invited to a three-stage modified Delphi process to gather metrics used by clinicians. Proposed metrics were ranked and further explored by 33 participating experts from a broad range of backgrounds including clinicians, data scientists and operational managers. Experts ranked five system-based metrics highest. These focus on optimisation of the proportion of patients receiving same day care in and out of SDEC units. Patient and staff experience metrics were ranked low, possibly due to present lack of viable examples. The paper adds a glossary with the rationale for ranking of metrics and their use for the improvement of quality and safety of clinical care.

UNASSIGNED: Cardiac arrest research has not received as much scientific attention as research on other topics. Here, we aimed to identify cardiac arrest research barriers from the perspective of an international group of early career researchers.
UNASSIGNED: Attendees of the 2022 international masterclass on cardiac arrest registry research accompanied the Global Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Registry collaborative meeting in Utstein, Norway, and used an adapted hybrid nominal group technique to obtain a diverse and comprehensive perspective. Barriers were identified using a web-based questionnaire and discussed and ranked during an in-person follow-up meeting. After each response was discussed and clarified, barriers were categorized and ranked over two rounds. Each participant scored these from 1 (least significant) to 5 (most significant).
UNASSIGNED: Nine participants generated 36 responses, forming seven overall categories of cardiac arrest research barriers. \"Allocated research time\" was ranked first in both rounds. \"Scientific environment\", including appropriate mentorship and support systems, ranked second in the final ranking. \"Resources\", including funding and infrastructure, ranked third. \"Access to and availability of cardiac arrest research data\" was the fourth-ranked barrier. This included data from the cardiac arrest registries, medical devices, and clinical studies. Finally, \"uniqueness\" was the fifth-ranked barrier. This included ethical issues, patient recruitment challenges, and unique characteristics of cardiac arrest.
UNASSIGNED: By identifying cardiac arrest research barriers and suggesting solutions, this study may act as a tool for stakeholders to focus on helping early career researchers overcome these barriers, thus paving the road for future research.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition causing disability and high healthcare costs. Alberta faces challenges with unnecessary referrals to specialists and long wait times. A province-wide standardized clinical care pathway based on evidence-based best practices can improve efficiency, reduce wait times, and enhance patient outcomes. Implementing such pathways has shown success in other areas of healthcare in Alberta. This study developed a clinical decision-making pathway to standardize care and minimize uncertainty in assessment, diagnosis, and management.
METHODS: A systematic rapid review identified existing tools and evidence that could support a comprehensive LBP clinical decision-making tool. Forty-seven healthcare professionals participated in four rounds of a modified Delphi approach to reach consensus on the assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients presenting to primary care with LBP in Alberta, Canada. This project was a collaborative effort between Alberta Health Services\' Bone and Joint Health Strategic Clinical Network (BJHSCN) and the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute (ABJHI).
RESULTS: A province-wide expert panel consisting of professionals from different health disciplines and regions collaborated to develop an LBP clinical decision-making tool. This tool presents clinical care pathways for acute, subacute, and chronic LBP. It also provides guidance for history-taking, physical examination, patient education, and management.
CONCLUSIONS: This clinical decision-making tool will help to standardize care, provide guidance on the diagnosis and management of LBP, and assist in clinical decision-making for primary care providers in both public and private sectors.

BACKGROUND: Studies on different surgical approaches have been published with excellent success rates for zygomatic implants. The same publications offer different results regarding the complications associated with the use of such implants. A consensus protocol on zygomatic implant interventions has yet to be documented.
OBJECTIVE: To seek to establish a consensus at each step of treatment consisting of oral rehabilitation using zygomatic implant-anchored restorations, and to share the outcome of the process to serve as a basis for practitioners and researchers.
METHODS: A wide variety of protocols were identified based on the results of a literature review conducted previously. All participants received the results of the systematic literature search. A modified Delphi process was used to establish a consensus protocol. Six sections were defined: Diagnosis and indications, Planning, Medication, Surgery, Prosthesis, and Follow-up. The first round of 17 open-ended questions was shared with 63 participants, all of whom were experts in zygomatic implant rehabilitation and part of the ZAGA Centers network. A total of 77 follow-up questions were then generated after analysis of the responses to the first 17 questions.
RESULTS: Of the 63 experts enrolled, 48 responded to both rounds of questions. Consensus was determined based on the percentage of agreement: < 70% was considered \"no consensus\" and ≥ 70% was considered \"consensus\". A high level of consensus was reached. The sections with the lowest percentage of agreement were Medication and Surgery, where a consensus was reached for 67% of the questions. Of the questions included in the Follow-up section in both rounds, a consensus was reached for 80%. Overall, agreement was obtained on 71% of the topics.
CONCLUSIONS: Use of the modified Delphi process led to the creation of the first consensus protocol for oral restorations anchored to zygomatic implants.

OBJECTIVE: The evidence-based (S3) guideline \"Adult Soft Tissue Sarcomas\" (AWMF Registry No. 032/044OL) published by the German Guideline Program in Oncology (GGPO) covers all aspects of sarcoma treatment with 229 recommendations. Representatives of all medical specialties involved in sarcoma treatment contributed to the guideline. This paper compiles the most important recommendations for surgeons selected by delegates from the surgical societies.
METHODS: A Delphi process was used. Delegates from the surgical societies involved in guideline process selected the 15 recommendations that were most important to them. Votes for similar recommendations were tallied. From the resulting ranked list, the 10 most frequently voted recommendations were selected and confirmed by consensus in the next step.
RESULTS: The statement \"Resection of primary soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities should be performed as a wide resection. The goal is an R0 resection\" was selected as the most important term. The next highest ranked recommendations were the need for a preoperative biopsy, performing preoperative MRI imaging with contrast, and discussing all cases before surgery in a multidisciplinary sarcoma committee.
CONCLUSIONS: The evidence-based guideline \"Adult Soft Tissue Sarcomas\" is a milestone to improve the care of sarcoma patients in Germany. The selection of the top ten recommendations by surgeons for surgeons has the potential to improve the dissemination and acceptance of the guideline and thus improve the overall outcome of sarcoma patients.

Schizophrenia is mostly a chronic disorder whose symptoms include psychosis, negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. Poor adherence is common and related relapse can impair outcomes. Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) may promote treatment adherence and decrease the likelihood of relapse and rehospitalization. Using LAIs in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and early-phase (EP) schizophrenia patients could benefit them, yet LAIs have traditionally been reserved for chronic patients.
A three-step modified Delphi panel process was used to obtain expert consensus on using LAIs with FEP and EP schizophrenia patients. A literature review and input from a steering committee of five experts in psychiatry were used to develop statements about patient population, adverse event management, and functional recovery. Recruited Delphi process psychiatrists rated the extent of their agreement with the statements over three rounds (Round 1: paper survey, 1:1 interview; Rounds 2-3: email survey). Analysis rules determined whether a statement progressed to the next round and the level of agreement deemed consensus. Measures of central tendency (mode, mean) and variability (interquartile range) were reported back to help panelists assess their previous responses in the context of those of the overall group.
The Delphi panelists were 17 psychiatrists experienced in treating schizophrenia with LAIs, practicing in seven countries (France, Italy, US, Germany, Spain, Denmark, UK). Panelists were presented with 73 statements spanning three categories: patient population; medication dosage, management, and adverse events; and functional recovery domains and assessment. Fifty-five statements achieved ≥ 80% agreement (considered consensus). Statements with low agreement (40-79%) or very low agreement (< 39%) concerned initiating dosage in FEP and EP patients, and managing loss of efficacy and breakthrough episodes, reflecting current evidence gaps. The panel emphasized benefits of LAIs in FEP and EP patients, with consensus that LAIs can decrease the risk of relapse, rehospitalization, and functional dysfunction. The panel supported links between these benefits and multidimensional longer-term functional recovery beyond symptomatic remission.
Findings from this Delphi panel support the use of LAIs in FEP and EP schizophrenia patients regardless of disease severity, number of relapses, or social support status. Gaps in clinician knowledge make generating evidence on using LAIs in FEP and EP patients critical.

UNASSIGNED: Acne, a commonly treated skin disease, requires patient-centered management due to its varying presentations, chronicity, and impact on health-related quality of life. Despite this, evidence-based clinical guidelines focus primarily on clinical severity of facial acne, omitting important patient- and disease-related factors, including ongoing management.
UNASSIGNED: To generate recommendations to support patient-centered acne management, which incorporate priority and prognostic factors beyond conventional clinical severity, traditionally defined by grading the appearance and extent of visible lesions.
UNASSIGNED: The Personalizing Acne: Consensus of Experts consisted of 17 dermatologists who used a modified Delphi approach to reach consensus on statements regarding patient- and treatment-related factors pertaining to patient-centered acne management. Consensus was defined as ≥75% voting \"agree\" or \"strongly agree.\"
UNASSIGNED: Recommendations based on factors such as acne sequelae, location of acne, high burden of disease, and individual patient features were generated and incorporated into the Personalized Acne Treatment Tool.
UNASSIGNED: Recommendations are based on expert opinion, which may differ from patients\' perspectives. Regional variations in healthcare systems may not be represented.
UNASSIGNED: The Personalizing Acne: Consensus of Experts panel provided practical recommendations to facilitate individualized management of acne, based on patient features, which can be implemented to improve treatment outcomes, adherence, and patient satisfaction.

UNASSIGNED: Deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) is increasing in India and now constitutes nearly one-third of all liver transplantation procedures performed in the country. There is currently no uniform national system of allocation of deceased donor livers.
UNASSIGNED: A national task force consisting of 19 clinicians involved in liver transplantation from across the country was constituted under the aegis of the Liver Transplantation Society of India to develop a consensus document addressing the above issues using a modified Delphi process of consensus development.
UNASSIGNED: The National Liver Allocation Policy consensus document includes 46 statements covering all aspects of DDLT, including minimum listing criteria, listing for acute liver failure, DDLT wait-list management, system of prioritisation based on clinical urgency for adults and children, guidelines for allocation of paediatric organs and allocation priorities for liver grafts recovered from public sector hospitals.
UNASSIGNED: This document is the first step in the setting up of a nationally consistent policy of deceased donor liver allocation.