An example of the adaptation of the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to a virtual format (vNGT) within healthcare research

The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) has been used to establish clinical priorities and generate guidelines within healthcare since its creation over fifty years ago. It is characterised by its five distinct stages; introduction, silent idea generation, 'round robin', clarifications and rating or ranking. A key element traditionally has been the inclusion of face-to-face discussion, however in the context of COVID-19 innovations were required. This article provides a case study illustrating an adaptation of the NGT to a virtual format (vNGT) and outlines the processes involved in a virtual NGT (vNGT), using an illustrative study exploring the rehabilitation of stroke survivors. The vNGT offers opportunities for global collaborations without the constraints of geography or incurred costs. Future studies should evaluate it's acceptability for stroke survivors to enable their participation within research.Summary statement1. This study provides a guide for the use of virtual nominal group technique (vNGT), using a freely available video-conferencing platform2. vNGT increases opportunities for global collaborations whilst incurring minimal costs.3. It remains unclear how feasible this procedure is with patient populations who have potentially less digital confidence and access.This work was supported by NIHR ARC-East Midlands, Grant number NIHR200171.