Fundamentals of Delphi Research Methodology

Although the Delphi method was designed as a forecasting tool for the RAND Corporation in the 1950s, in the last several decades, this research methodology is commonly used for facilitating consensus in many fields such as business, education, and nursing. Because of the increased use of the Delphi method, more information is needed for researchers to precisely execute a successful Delphi study. This chapter briefly introduces the Delphi method, reviews the methodology, discusses types and variations in Delphi studies, addresses the advantages and limitations, and provides clear, step-by-step guidelines for employing a Delphi method research study.

Patients Satisfaction With The Dental Treatment Provided At The University of Jordan Students Clinics

Objectives: To assess patients' satisfaction with the dental care provided to them by the undergraduate students at Jordan University Hospital. Methods: The Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire (DSQ) developed by the RAND Corporation was used to measure patient satisfaction. The questionnaire was translated to Arabic the native language of the country and it consisted of 14 questions, which measure the overall satisfaction and the subscales of access, convenience & availability, continuity of treatment, and quality of dental care provided.Results: A total of 94 patients (58.5% female, 41.5% male) answered the DSQ, the Overall Dental Satisfaction Index (DSI) was found to be 86.2%, and there was no correlation between gender or age groups with the DSI (P<0.05). The lowest score (3.7/5) was given to the question about whether the school building and dental units being modern and well equipped. Conclusions: Patients who were treated at the student clinics at the University of Jordan, School of Dentistry were mostly satisfied about the treatment provided, the main cause for dissatisfaction was the clinics building that is very old and crowded, and the lack of modern dental units and equipment.

RAND Looks at Moscow: Russia`s Strategic Capabilities and the Post-Soviet Space in the Assessments of American Experts

This paper looks at a series of analytical reports published in 2015– 2020 by the RAND Corporation focused on Russia, its armed forces and the policies pursued by Moscow on the territory of the former Soviet Union. The assumption by the author is that the expert community in the United States can exert greater influence on US foreign policy than is generally accepted in Russia. Historically, in the United States, there has been a strong link between expert consideration of any given policy and its subsequent implementation. Reports published by RAND help assess the role that Russia and the former Soviet Union play on the list of US national security priorities. Does Washington understand the domestic-policy motives of Russia’s actions on the international stage? What is America’s overall assessment of Russia’s military capabilities? Finally, what is the extent of Washington’s willingness to seek compromise with Moscow and its foreign policy aspirations? The source analyzed in the paper can shed some light on how the political community in the United States views the future of the rivalry between Russia and America.

Enhanced Fuzzy Delphi Method in Forecasting and Decision-Making

The Delphi method is a process where subjective data are transformed into quasi-objective data using statistical analysis and are converged to stable points. The Delphi method was developed by the RAND Corporation at Santa Monica, California, and is widely used for long-range forecasting in management science. It is a method by which the subjective data of experts are made to converge using some statistical analyses. This article proposes a variation of the Delphi method using triangular fuzzy numbers, where the communication method with the experts is the same, but the estimation procedure is different. The utility of the method is illustrated by a numerical example.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometrics Evaluation of the Arabic Version of the Patient-Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale

Background and PurposeThe Patient Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (PT-RHDS) is an outcome measure of discharge care processes. The purpose of the study was to test a cross-cultural adaptation from English into Arabic.MethodsThe Rand Corporation cross-cultural adaptation method and psychometric analysis of data from 1844 adult surgical inpatients in two Saudi Arabia hospitals.ResultsReliability of the Arabic version (α = .75) was adequate. Confirmatory factor analysis supported construct validity. No differences in PT-RHDS scores were detected in comparisons for marital status, sex, age, or length of stay. The Arabic PT-RHDS did not predict readmissions.ConclusionsThe psychometric properties of the Arabic PT- RHDS provide preliminary evidence for its use in assessing surgical patients' perception of readiness for discharge in Arabic-speaking countries.

Sacrificial causalities of nuclear weapons: Takashi Nagai and Albert Wohlstetter

After the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945, both nations experienced a profound need for a new and encompassing story of what it meant to be Japanese, and to be American, in the permanent nuclear age. This article is a thought experiment to juxtapose the writings and personas of two people who helped their respective societies answer those needs and questions during the early Cold War: Takashi Nagai—medical radiologist, and survivor of the American atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and Albert Wohlstetter—leading American civilian nuclear strategist for the RAND Corporation in the 1950s. Using a combination of mythopeic analysis, biography and illuminative juxtaposition, the study discovers surprising similarities and analogies between the two cases. They each enact and propose interesting variations of sacrificial causalities—claims that human nuclear sacrifices past or promised can bring peace by deterrence now or peace by abolition soon enough. This is an important study now, as both Japan’s nuclear pacifism and the American nuclear umbrella in Northeast Asia are coming under more severe questioning than perhaps ever before.