[Ranking and weighing of quality criteria. An application of criteria concerning nursing follow-up care of COPD patients].

The primary question in this survey was: Is it possible for a panel of experts, by means of existing measurement scales, to weigh and rank criteria in order to get a more refined judgement of quality. For this purpose 134 criteria were presented to a panel of experts using the Delphi-method. In two Delphi-rounds the panel selected 28 most important and 18 least important criteria by means of the VAS and the Coombsscale. This resulted in a selection of 34% of the original number of 134 criteria. The results proved it to be possible, to rank and weigh criteria by means of the VAS and Coombsscale in a Delphi-survey. If it is desired that a numerical value be attributed to criteria which differ little on a notional continuum, the Coombsscale appears to be most suitable. The VAS is not adequate in reaching 70% consensus in regarding least important criteria in a group of existing criteria.