Article type
Abstract
"Background
The European Commission Initiative on Colorectal Cancer (ECICC) and its guidelines on primary prevention, screening and diagnosis aim to improve the quality of care and reduce inequalities in accessing care for colorectal cancer across Europe. The guidelines follow the ‘GRADE’ approach and include the ‘Evidence to Decision’ (EtD) frameworks.
Objectives:
To assess the feasibility and benefit of developing guidelines with the voluntary contribution of healthcare professionals and patients/caregivers selected from a pool of experts.
Methods
The development of ECICC and its guidelines relies on the collaboration of a working group (WG) and several topic-specific groups (TSG). The WG acts as the decision-making body and is mandated to prioritize the healthcare questions and approve or amend the output of TSGs. TSGs work on specific guidelines’ topics and, with the support of an independent evidence review team, develop systematic reviews and, where applicable, agree on a proposal for the recommendations. TSGs have a limited duration and are composed of representatives from the WG and other healthcare professionals and patients/caregivers selected from a pool of experts who volunteered to contribute to the development of ECICC.
Results
Between February 2023 and March 2024, we established six TSGs. Working in parallel, the TSGs produced several outputs for review by the WG, including colorectal cancer marker states, four background reviews (colorectal cancer natural history, incidence, baseline risk, and risk prediction models), four good practice statements on healthy lifestyles for colorectal cancer prevention, and seven proposed recommendations (age-ranges for screening, using NSAIDs for colorectal cancer primary prevention).
Conclusions
Although requiring a substantial coordination effort, this approach could streamline the development and increase the overall guidelines' quality. Its feasibility depends on the availability of resources from the promoting organization. Scheduling recurrent meetings with the TGSs and the WG can help improve communication, strengthen group belonging, and reduce the organizational burden.
"
The European Commission Initiative on Colorectal Cancer (ECICC) and its guidelines on primary prevention, screening and diagnosis aim to improve the quality of care and reduce inequalities in accessing care for colorectal cancer across Europe. The guidelines follow the ‘GRADE’ approach and include the ‘Evidence to Decision’ (EtD) frameworks.
Objectives:
To assess the feasibility and benefit of developing guidelines with the voluntary contribution of healthcare professionals and patients/caregivers selected from a pool of experts.
Methods
The development of ECICC and its guidelines relies on the collaboration of a working group (WG) and several topic-specific groups (TSG). The WG acts as the decision-making body and is mandated to prioritize the healthcare questions and approve or amend the output of TSGs. TSGs work on specific guidelines’ topics and, with the support of an independent evidence review team, develop systematic reviews and, where applicable, agree on a proposal for the recommendations. TSGs have a limited duration and are composed of representatives from the WG and other healthcare professionals and patients/caregivers selected from a pool of experts who volunteered to contribute to the development of ECICC.
Results
Between February 2023 and March 2024, we established six TSGs. Working in parallel, the TSGs produced several outputs for review by the WG, including colorectal cancer marker states, four background reviews (colorectal cancer natural history, incidence, baseline risk, and risk prediction models), four good practice statements on healthy lifestyles for colorectal cancer prevention, and seven proposed recommendations (age-ranges for screening, using NSAIDs for colorectal cancer primary prevention).
Conclusions
Although requiring a substantial coordination effort, this approach could streamline the development and increase the overall guidelines' quality. Its feasibility depends on the availability of resources from the promoting organization. Scheduling recurrent meetings with the TGSs and the WG can help improve communication, strengthen group belonging, and reduce the organizational burden.
"