P994 - CONSENSUS NETWORK ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL TOPIC GROUPINGS IN INTESTINAL FAILURE EDUCATION: A DELPHI STUDY

P994

CONSENSUS NETWORK ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL TOPIC GROUPINGS IN INTESTINAL FAILURE EDUCATION: A DELPHI STUDY

U. Meade^1,*, S. Harrsion ², C. Elworthy³, P. Mistry⁴, A. Rowlands⁵, P. Roy ⁶, R. Tailor⁷, G. Wiltshaw⁸

¹Pharmacy , St Mark's Hospital , London , ²Salford Care Organisation, Salford , ³Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Devon , ⁴University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton , ⁵Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool , ⁶Barts Health NHS Trust, ⁷Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London , ⁸ Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds , United Kingdom

 

Rationale: Pharmacists play a key role in managing intestinal failure (IF), especially in optimising parenteral nutrition (PN). However, training remains inconsistent. This study aimed to develop a consensus-based framework to guide structured education for pharmacy professionals managing IF in England.

Methods: A panel of expert pharmacists participated in a Delphi consensus process to categorise 29 predefined clinical topics into priority learning blocks. Consensus was defined as ≥80% agreement. A Consensus Network Graph was used to visualise relationships between topics. Confidence levels were derived from a prior national learning needs assessment (LNA) of IF pharmacists in England. A second Delphi round asked panellists to confirm agreement with the thematic groupings.

Results: Six consensus based learning blocks were defined:

        1. Essentials of PN & Refeeding Syndrome (66.7%–68.2%)

        2. PN Prescription, Formulation & Adjustments (54.2%–68.5%)

        3. Monitoring & Managing PN-Related Complications (57.1%–63.3%)

        4. IF Medication Management (57.9%–84.4%)

        5. Home PN Adjustments & Contingency Planning (52.5%–64.4%)

        6. Advanced Therapies for Short Bowel Syndrome (46.5%–70.0%)

Percentage range indicate confidence levels from the LNA highlight training gaps. While consensus was reached on grouped topics, low-consensus areas like enteral nutrition and feeding pumps need further review.

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Conclusion: This Delphi process has produced a validated & structured educational framework for IF pharmacy professionals in England. Thematic blocks will shape a standardised curriculum, followed by free online modules aimed at reducing training variability. Low-consensus areas may benefit from standalone module development or further expert discussion.

References: Identifying learning gaps: a comprehensive learning needs assessment for pharmacy professionals working in clinical nutrition. Simon Harrison, Uchu Meade, BAPEN conference abstract November 2024

Disclosure of Interest: None declared