Article type
Abstract
Background: In 2021, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health commissioned a National Guidelines Program as a cross-cutting intervention for the healthcare transformation pillar of Vision 2030 (https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/). The program found a permanent home with the National Center for Evidence-Based Medicine ,Saudi Health Council and oversees the development of its inaugural evidence-based national guidelines.
Objectives: To ensure local impact by utilizing local data, information, knowledge, and wisdom during the setup of the National Guidelines Program and the development of its first 12 national guidelines
Methods: We applied a multimodal approach during the design and implementation of the National Guidelines Program to ensure local relevance and impact. This included 1) Extensive stakeholder consultation from across the Saudi Guideline Ecosystem through 3 discovery workshops, a pre-workshop survey, and post-workshop interviews to inform the program’s vision, mission, guiding principles, and goals; 2) Over 20 Responsible – Accountable – Consulted – Informed (RACI) interviews to identify the program’s final hosting institution; 3) Utilization of local epidemiological data and information during the selection of guideline topics 4) Involvement of over 140 clinical experts from across Saudi Arabia in the clinical task forces to identify the most relevant source guideline as the starting point for adaptation/adoption, inform the scope/recommendations of the program’s first 12 guidelines, and help localize 38 associated Order Sets; 5) Systematic literature searches for local and regional studies to inform the contextual factor summaries presented to the Task Forces as part of each question’s GRADE Evidence-to-Decision Framework; 6) Peer review by local (in addition to international) experts; 7) Knowledge transfer to over 100 representatives of organizations involved or interested in national guideline development; and 8) Presentations at local conferences organized by Saudi medical societies to raise awareness and promote clinical adoption of national guideline recommendations.
Results: The robust development of these clinical guidelines and the incorporation of patient and stakeholder input distinguish their added value. The absence of comparable local alternatives underscores their significance, establishing a foundational basis for future national guidelines.
Conclusions: Targeted, multimodal measures to ensure local impact have contributed to the success of the National Guideline Initiative in Saudi Arabia.
Objectives: To ensure local impact by utilizing local data, information, knowledge, and wisdom during the setup of the National Guidelines Program and the development of its first 12 national guidelines
Methods: We applied a multimodal approach during the design and implementation of the National Guidelines Program to ensure local relevance and impact. This included 1) Extensive stakeholder consultation from across the Saudi Guideline Ecosystem through 3 discovery workshops, a pre-workshop survey, and post-workshop interviews to inform the program’s vision, mission, guiding principles, and goals; 2) Over 20 Responsible – Accountable – Consulted – Informed (RACI) interviews to identify the program’s final hosting institution; 3) Utilization of local epidemiological data and information during the selection of guideline topics 4) Involvement of over 140 clinical experts from across Saudi Arabia in the clinical task forces to identify the most relevant source guideline as the starting point for adaptation/adoption, inform the scope/recommendations of the program’s first 12 guidelines, and help localize 38 associated Order Sets; 5) Systematic literature searches for local and regional studies to inform the contextual factor summaries presented to the Task Forces as part of each question’s GRADE Evidence-to-Decision Framework; 6) Peer review by local (in addition to international) experts; 7) Knowledge transfer to over 100 representatives of organizations involved or interested in national guideline development; and 8) Presentations at local conferences organized by Saudi medical societies to raise awareness and promote clinical adoption of national guideline recommendations.
Results: The robust development of these clinical guidelines and the incorporation of patient and stakeholder input distinguish their added value. The absence of comparable local alternatives underscores their significance, establishing a foundational basis for future national guidelines.
Conclusions: Targeted, multimodal measures to ensure local impact have contributed to the success of the National Guideline Initiative in Saudi Arabia.