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International Journal for Quality in Health Care 5:75-80 (1993)
© 1993 International Society for Quality in Health Care

Indications for Cholecystectomy: The Results of a Consensus Panel Approach

GERALD M. FRASER, DINAH PILPEL*, SALLY HOLLIS{dagger}, JACQUELINE KOSECOFF{ddagger} and ROBERT H. BROOK§

Department of Gastroenterology, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University Beer-Sheba, Israel
* Epidemiology Unit, Ben-Gurion University Beer-Sheba, Israel
{dagger} Computational and Statistical Unit, Hope Hospital Salford, UK
{ddagger} Value Health Sciences Santa Monica, California, USA
§ Department of Medicine, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences and the RAND Corporation Santa Monica, California, USA

A Consensus panel approach was used in Israel to develop a list of clinical indications for which there was agreement that cholecystectomy should be performed. Nine physicians from different disciplines were asked to score a list of 266 clinical indications for cholecystectomy. Each indication was scored on a scale of 1 (inappropriate, i.e. health risks exceed health benefits) to 9 (appropriate, i.e. benefits exceed risks). Each indication also included one of four comorbidity levels (none to high). Agreement and disagreement were defined and panelists met to discuss, modify and rescore the list. The composition of the panel and definitions of agreement had a considerable impact on the preparation of a list of agreed, appropriate indications for cholecystectomy. Gastroenterologists in the panel were less likely to recommend surgery than either surgeons or general internists both before and after the panel discussion. Following the discussion the level of agreement (defined as after discarding the highest and lowest score all of the remaining seven panelists were in a 3-point range) increased from 39% to 46% (p < 0.08) and disagreement decreased from 27% to 18% (p < 0.01). Fifty-nine of the 266 indications were considered appropriate with agreement.

Keywords: Cholecystectomy, panel, appropriate, inappropriate, consensus agreement, comorbidity, score, indication

Dr G. M. Fraser, Dept of Gastroenterology, Soroka Medical Center, POB 151, Beer-Sheba, Israel.

Received for publication May 4, 1992. Accepted for publication July 15, 1992.


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