A core outcome set for asthma management: Consensus work across NICE Guidelines, Cochrane Airways Group and the COMET Initiative

Tags: Poster
Tan T1, Cates CJ2, Dennett E2, Williamson P3, Taske N1
1National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2Cochrane Airways Group, 3COMET Initiatives

Background: The difficulties caused by heterogeneity in outcome measurement are well known to those involved in evidence synthesis including guideline developers. These issues could be addressed with the development and agreement on standardised sets of core outcomes.

Currently, three pieces of work related to development of core outcome set for the management of asthma have been identified:

•Core outcome set endorsed by European Medicines Agency (EMA) (supported by the COMET Initiative Management Group)

•Outcomes Most Important to Patients, Public and Practitioners (OMIPPP) project on asthma (supported by NIHR and the Cochrane Airways Group)

•NICE clinical guideline: Asthma management (publication date June 2017)

Objectives: To reach consensus on a core outcome set for asthma management.

Methods: An update search of the COMET database was conducted to identify new core outcome set studies, followed by a mapping exercise of core outcomes identified across the three pieces of work.

Core outcomes that are suggested by all 4 sources will be deemed ‘agreement reached’ and included.

Core outcomes that are suggested by at least 2 out of the 4 sources will be deemed ‘agreement to be discussed’. An online survey using modified Delphi will be undertaken to reach consensus on these outcomes. Participants will include editors from the Cochrane Airways Groups, committee member from the NICE guideline, and previous participants from the OMIPPP project.

Results: It is anticipated that an agreed core outcome set for asthma management will be endorsed by NICE Centre for Guidelines (to inform future updates of the guideline) and the Cochrane Airways Group (to inform future Cochrane reviews and/or updates).

Implications: Agreement of core outcome sets for other disease conditions across core outcome researchers, Cochrane groups and guideline developers will lead to more efficient use of scarce research resources.