A Delphi method-based expert consensus on a transfusion medicine curriculum for postgraduate pediatric education

[Objective] To establish an expert consensus on a transfusion medicine curriculum for pediatric postgraduate students using the Delphi method. [Methods] A preliminary version comprising 11 curriculum topics and 124 curriculum items was developed. A multidisciplinary panel of 121 experts was formed to rate and revise these items. Consensus was achieved if the additional curriculum items≤10 proposed by experts and a Cronbach's α>0.80. Items with a mean score≥4, coefficient of variation (CV)≤0.25 were included; Items rated≥4 by≥80% of experts were included in the core curriculum; while all others were classified as expanded curriculum. Newly proposed items were incorporated into the expanded curriculum. [Results] All 121 experts submitted valid responses. The expert authority coefficient value was 0.761 5. With a Cronbach's α=0.990 and only 4 newly proposed items, expert consensus on the curriculum was successfully achieved. The final curriculum consisted of 11 expanded modules and 99 core items. [Conclusion] A multidisciplinary experts' panel comprising pediatrics, pediatric subspecialties, and transfusion medicine achieved a consensus on a transfusion medicine curriculum for postgraduate pediatric students, providing a foundation for postgraduate education in pediatric transfusion medicine in China.