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Enhanced Recovery After SurgeryRIDECLASNCT07615855

RIDECLAS: Delphi Classification of RICA Pathway Recommendations

An observational study of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and Perioperative Care, run by Universidad de Zaragoza at 1 site in Spain.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

RIDECLAS is an observational, prospective, non-interventional consensus study using a modified Delphi methodology. The study aims to obtain expert consensus on the classification and final formulation of recommendations for the RICA Pathway, an enhanced recovery pathway for adult surgery. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Modified Delphi questionnaire
How many people
384 participants
Where
1 siteSpain
Study dates
1 Jun 2026to 31 Dec 2026
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: The study population will consist of healthcare professionals and scientific society members with experience in enhanced recovery pathways, perioperative medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, nursing, rehabilitation, or related disciplines. Participants will be invited from the Grupo Español de Rehabilitación Multimodal (GERM) and related professional networks.

Who may be able to join

  • Healthcare professional or researcher with relevant clinical or scientific experience in enhanced recovery pathways, perioperative medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, nursing, rehabilitation, or related disciplines.
  • At least 5 years of professional experience. Membership in GERM or participation in professional networks related to enhanced recovery in adult surgery.
  • Willingness to participate in the planned Delphi rounds. Provision of electronic informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Failure to meet the predefined professional experience criteria. Failure to provide informed consent. Failure to complete the first Delphi round. Duplicate or incomplete responses that cannot be validated for analysis.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

José-Manuel Ramírez Rodríguez, Professor of Surgery contact

+34 976 556400

jramirez@unizar.es

Spain1 site

  • Department of Surgery

    Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50009

    Grupo Español de Rehabilitacion Multimodal GERM SOCIEDAD CIENTIFICA, +34 636935065, secretariagerm@gmail.com

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Delphi Study for the Classification of Recommendations for the RICA Pathway (Enhanced Recovery in Adult Surgery)

RIDECLAS is an observational, prospective, non-interventional consensus study using a modified Delphi methodology. The study aims to obtain expert consensus on the classification and final formulation of recommendations for the RICA Pathway, an enhanced recovery pathway for adult surgery. Participants will be healthcare professionals with experience in enhanced recovery, perioperative medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, nursing, rehabilitation, or related disciplines. Experts will complete sequential online questionnaires. Individual responses will remain confidential, and aggregated anonymized feedback will be provided between Delphi rounds. The study does not involve patients, clinical interventions, biological samples, drugs, or medical devices.

Read the detailed description

This study will use a modified Delphi process conducted remotely through electronic questionnaires. A coordinating committee will prepare an initial list of recommendations based on the previous RICA Pathway document and updated evidence. Expert panelists will rate each recommendation using a 1-to-9 Likert scale and may provide free-text comments. Two Delphi rounds are planned, with a third round if needed for items without sufficient consensus or for reformulated statements. Between rounds, participants will receive aggregated and anonymized feedback, including measures of agreement, median scores, dispersion, and a summary of comments. Consensus for acceptance is predefined as at least 75% of ratings in the 7-9 range and no more than 15% in the 1-3 range. Consensus for rejection is predefined as at least 75% of ratings in the 1-3 range and no more than 15% in the 7-9 range. Items not meeting consensus criteria may be reassessed in subsequent rounds. The analysis will be descriptive and will include response rates, attrition between rounds, item-level agreement, median scores, interquartile ranges, and qualitative thematic review of comments.

Being tested
Modified Delphi questionnaire
Keywords
ERAS, Delphi Technique, RICA Pathway, Perioperative Medicine

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Modified Delphi questionnaireOther

    Sequential online questionnaires used to rate and classify proposed RICA Pathway recommendations. This is not a clinical intervention and does not involve patient care, drugs, devices, or invasive procedures.

Study groups in NCT07615855
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Expert PanelHealthcare professionals with experience in enhanced recovery pathways, perioperative medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, nursing, rehabilitation, or related disciplines who are invited to participate in the modified Delphi process.
Receives: Other: Modified Delphi questionnaire

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Expert consensus on RICA Pathway recommendations

    Consensus will be assessed for each recommendation using predefined Delphi criteria. Acceptance consensus will be defined as at least 75% of ratings in the 7-9 range and no more than 15% in the 1-3 range. Rejection consensus will be defined as at least 75% of ratings in the 1-3 range and no more than 15% in the 7-9 range.

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 7 months

Secondary outcomes (4)

  1. Degree of agreement for each recommendation

    Distribution of ratings, median score, interquartile range, and percentage of ratings in predefined agreement/disagreement ranges.

    Measured: After each Delphi round, up to 7 months.

  2. Stability of ratings between Delphi rounds

    Descriptive assessment of changes in item-level ratings and consensus status between rounds.

    Measured: Between round 1 and round 2, and round 3 if performed, up to 7 months.

  3. Response rate and attrition between rounds

    Number and percentage of invited experts who complete each round, and percentage lost between rounds.

    Measured: After each Delphi round, up to 7 months.

  4. Qualitative analysis of expert comments

    Thematic review of free-text comments to support item reformulation and interpretation of items without consensus.

    Measured: After each Delphi round, up to 7 months.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted29 May 2026
  2. Study start1 Jun 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
384 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07615855
Sponsor's protocol ID
GERMDELPHI
Acronym
RIDECLAS
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
22 May 2026
Last updated
29 May 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared. This is a modified Delphi consensus study involving expert panelists rather than patients. Individual responses will be treated confidentially, stored in coded form, and analyzed and reported only in aggregate. Sharing individual-level responses could compromise participant confidentiality and may affect the independence of expert judgment in the Delphi process. Aggregated results, consensus levels, and methodological details will be reported in the final publication.

Publications

  • Grupo de trabajo. Vía Clínica de Recuperación Intensificada en Cirugía del Adulto (RICA). Grupo Español de Rehabilitación Multimodal (GERM); 2026. Available at: https://grupogerm.es/via-rica-web/

  • Ripolles-Melchor J, Ramirez-Rodriguez JM, Casans-Frances R, Aldecoa C, Abad-Motos A, Logrono-Egea M, Garcia-Erce JA, Camps-Cervantes A, Ferrando-Ortola C, Suarez de la Rica A, Cuellar-Martinez A, Marmana-Mezquita S, Abad-Gurumeta A, Calvo-Vecino JM; POWER Study Investigators Group for the Spanish Perioperative Audit and Research Network (REDGERM). Association Between Use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol and Postoperative Complications in Colorectal Surgery: The Postoperative Outcomes Within Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol (POWER) Study. JAMA Surg. 2019 Aug 1;154(8):725-736. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.0995.

    PubMed 31066889

  • Kehlet H, Dahl JB. Anaesthesia, surgery, and challenges in postoperative recovery. Lancet. 2003 Dec 6;362(9399):1921-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)14966-5.

    PubMed 14667752

  • Gattrell WT, Logullo P, van Zuuren EJ, Price A, Hughes EL, Blazey P, Winchester CC, Tovey D, Goldman K, Hungin AP, Harrison N. ACCORD (ACcurate COnsensus Reporting Document): A reporting guideline for consensus methods in biomedicine developed via a modified Delphi. PLoS Med. 2024 Jan 23;21(1):e1004326. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004326. eCollection 2024 Jan.

    PubMed 38261576

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and Perioperative Care, run by Universidad de Zaragoza at 1 site in Spain.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact José-Manuel Ramírez Rodríguez, Professor of Surgery (+34 976 556400, jramirez@unizar.es), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Expert consensus on RICA Pathway recommendations (time frame: Through study completion, up to 7 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07615855, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 May 2026.

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