Decision conferences
CBSAD decision conferences are face-to-face workshops of experts, health professionals and patients, who are guided by a facilitator in constructing a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model of the benefit-risk balance of the drugs under consideration.
The model clearly separates facts from value judgements, but brings them together by applying the theory of decisions with multiple objectives. The group explores the results to see the effects of imprecision and differences of opinion, which leads to revisions of the model as experiences are shared, further data are considered, and intuitions change. Usually, a final model that sufficiently represents the reality of actual drug use is agreed, and the rank ordering is accepted by the experts.
The decision conferencing process is designed to minimise or eliminate bias in four ways:
The decision conferencing process is designed to minimise or eliminate bias in four ways:
- participants are chosen to ensure diversity of viewpoints and differences in experience,
- participants quantify their judgements to minimise misinterpretations,
- peer review occurs on the spot, so that the validity and reliability of data and judgements can be explored and debated, and,
- the facilitator only guides the process and the model’s structure, but does not contribute to the content (neither the available scientific evidence nor judgements about the data and the weights).
Click here for an easy-to-read tutorial on MCDA in Chapter 6.