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Abstract
Introduction: Systematic reviews can be used in two ways within evidence based guideline development. Firstly, de novo reviews can be conducted within the process of developing guidelines. Secondly, existing systematic reviews can be incorporated to cover relevant subject areas within the guideline.
Methods: The North of England Evidence Based Guideline Development Programme in the UK has developed 12 evidence based guidelines for a variety of primary care conditions and within this has conducted both de novo systematic reviews and incorporated Cochrane Reviews into the guidelines. The differing methods of use of systematic reviews pose differing issues for both guideline developers and systematic reviewers. These issues include the scale and scope of the review; its relevance to clinical questions; and the appropriateness of incorporating reviews into clinical practice guidelines. The presentation will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the methods and highlight issues for both systematic reviewers and guideline developers.
Methods: The North of England Evidence Based Guideline Development Programme in the UK has developed 12 evidence based guidelines for a variety of primary care conditions and within this has conducted both de novo systematic reviews and incorporated Cochrane Reviews into the guidelines. The differing methods of use of systematic reviews pose differing issues for both guideline developers and systematic reviewers. These issues include the scale and scope of the review; its relevance to clinical questions; and the appropriateness of incorporating reviews into clinical practice guidelines. The presentation will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the methods and highlight issues for both systematic reviewers and guideline developers.