My first-author article, “Expert consensus on assessment items for identifying health and social needs of children in public assistance households: a modified Delphi study,” has been published early in the International Journal for Equity in Health.
In this study, we conducted three rounds of a modified Delphi survey* involving 49 professionals, including caseworkers and public health nurses, who support children, including those from households receiving public assistance, at welfare offices and other organizations across nine municipalities in Japan. Through an iterative process incorporating the professionals’ feedback, we developed a set of assessment items consisting of 17 items on daily life, 24 questions for children, and 10 questions for caregivers. This study proposed assessment items based on expert consensus. In future research, we plan to examine their feasibility and usefulness through implementation in municipal settings.
* Modified Delphi method
A research method for building consensus among experts through multiple rounds of surveys, in which participants provide their opinions and subsequently reassess the items based on the results of the preceding rounds.
