Determining the outcomes for clinicians completing a postgraduate diploma in transfusion medicine

BackgroundMuch is known about outcomes and content of training programs in blood banking, but only a limited amount of formal research has been done on the outcomes required for a postgraduate training program aimed at medical doctors working in clinical practice.Study design and methodsA formal qualitative and semi-quantitative research approach was followed to determine and test the factors considered important in determining the outcomes for clinicians completing a postgraduate diploma in transfusion medicine, and consisted of a literature survey, followed by semi-structured interviews and a Delphi survey.ResultsAfter a series of semi-structured interviews, based on an extensive literature survey, 42 factors were identified. These factors were categorized into eight groups and tested in a Delphi survey to determine which of these would be essential outcomes of a postgraduate training program in transfusion medicine. After three rounds of the Delphi survey, consensus was reached on 27 factors and stability on 14 factors. On one factor, neither consensus nor stability could be reached. Twenty-six factors were identified as essential outcomes.ConclusionThis research provides support for the essential outcomes to be considered in any postgraduate training program in transfusion medicine aimed at clinicians.