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Table 3 Nine key considerations for COS developers undertaking multi-language Delphi surveys

From: Methods for conducting international Delphi surveys to optimise global participation in core outcome set development: a case study in gastric cancer informed by a comprehensive literature review

1 International working group

To ensure that study and its aims are promoted in regions from where the study team wish to target recruitment.

2 Patient and public involvement

To ensure that the patient perspective is represented.

3 Who should undertake the translation work?

Deciding whether to employ professionally paid services or identify clinically trained individuals to undertake the translations.

4 Milestone and timeline planning

Providing a pre-agreed timetable for translation work and checks ahead of recruitment to the Delphi survey.

5 Recruitment and retention targets

Planning how long to keep Delphi survey rounds open to ensure an appropriate number of participants have been recruited.

6 Paper and Internet-based survey versions

Giving stakeholders without easy access to the Internet an opportunity to participate in the study.

7 Measures to maximise recruitment

Dissemination strategy

Local recruitment

Support from stakeholder group and research networks

Collaborations

Personalised e-mails

Social media and multimedia

8 Ethical approval

Identifying what type of approvals are required as these vary between regions.

9 Financial planning

Ensuring that a robust plan for resource allocation is made in advance.