Objectives: This workshop will outline processes undertaken and tools developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to improve the quality and consistency of clinical practice guidelines developed by external groups and associations (guideline developers) and approved by the NHMRC. Participants will be invited to share their experiences in guideline development and provide feedback about the processes and tools developed.

Description: The Health Advisory Committee of the NHMRC oversees the development of national clinical practice guidelines in Australia by groups with expertise in the area covered by the guideline (usually clinicians and consumers). The completed guideline is submitted to the NHMRC for approval through the Health Advisory Committee. To monitor the methodological rigour of the guideline development process in 2002 the NHMRC established a register of methodological experts who are assigned to development groups to advise and assist developers to ensure guidelines are evidence-based. Over the past two years these methodological experts have worked together to develop:

a. a process for assessing the ability of a guideline development group to produce high quality evidence-based guidelines
b. minimum methodological standards to be met by developers in order to obtain NHMRC approval of guidelines
c. a revised hierarchy of evidence including all types of study designs including studies of diagnostic accuracy, aetiology, prognosis and screening
d. a process for assessing the body of evidence underlying a recommendation and assigning a grade to the recommendation.

The workshop will outline the NHMRC guideline development process, together with the four initiatives described above, share experiences in working with guideline development groups and feedback about the use of these new processes and tools, and invite comments and feedback from workshop participants.

Target audience: Developers and users of clinical practice guidelines

Style: Discussion workshop