A Modified Delphi Study for the Development of a Leadership Curriculum for Pediatric Oncology

BACKGROUND: The broader construct of participatory system-wide leadership has not been highlighted in the pediatric oncology domain, although these skills are teachable. The researchers conducted the current study to develop a leadership competency curriculum for pediatric oncologists in Egypt. METHODS: The study was carried out in three phases: (1) Conducting a literature review for the years 2013-2018 to identify the initial competencies of pediatric oncology leadership (2) Holding a meeting with a superior reference panel (SRP) to get a consensus on the initial list of competencies, and (3) Conducting a two-round modified Delphi survey. RESULTS: Seventy-five invitees from 12 countries completed the first round (R1) of the survey. Of the 75 respondents to R1, 69 completed round 2 (R2) (92%). In R1, 73 competency items were surveyed for relevance to include in a pediatric oncology leader role curriculum. Thirty-seven items were judged for inclusion, while 36 items were judged for exclusion. In R2, the 37 competencies relevant for inclusion were presented in which participants were asked to check them as either IN or OUT. Finally, 17 competencies remained. CONCLUSION: The process resulted in 17 pediatric oncology leader role competencies. This final set of 17 competency items is considered as an important step towards reducing the variability in pediatric oncology education and practice that currently exists in Egypt. This is the initial step towards developing a learning and assessment toolkit for this imperative area of research and practice.