Validation of a Supportive Resource-Based Care Program in People with Type 2 Diabetes: a Delphi Study

Diabetes mellitus is a spreading disease in the world. Despite the effective role of supportive resources in diabetes management, there is currently no documented plan for the use of these resources in diabetic patients. So the research team, while designing a support resource-based care program based on qualitative study and systematic review, conducted the present study with the aim of validating the program in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus using the Delphi method.

This is a methodological study conducted to validate the Delphi care program. Panel members included 15 experts in the field of diabetes, who were selected by the snowball method. The data collection tool was a structured questionnaire with 38 questions that were designed based on different parts of the care plan. The data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 18), and the percentage of agreement with the questionnaire dialects continued until a consensus was reached.

In the first round of Delphi, the preliminary draft of the care plan was drafted and amended based on the suggestions and corrective opinions of the participants. Then the contents of the questionnaire questions were prepared. In the second round of Delphi and the consensus on the dialects of the questionnaire, the percentage of agreement of the members of the expert panel based on the questionnaire questions was obtained at 93.5.

Given that the scientific and practical acceptability of the care program based on support resources, based on the questions raised in the present study, was "very high" and "high", it is recommended that this program be used to design and complete related programs at the national level.