National Guideline Clearinghouse | Domain Framework and Inclusion Criteria

National Guideline Clearinghouse | Domain Framework and Inclusion Criteria

March 25, 2013

Inclusion Criteria

Note: Update on NGC's work to revise the inclusion criteria. In response to the May 2011 Institute of Medicine report on Trustworthy Guidelines , NGC is currently evaluating the proposed definition and inclusion criteria changes noted here. We invite you to send your comments on this matter to info@guideline.gov.

NGC Proposed Revised Definition of Clinical Practice Guideline and Inclusion Criteria

• NGC will be adopting the 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) revised definition of a clinical practice guideline, thus raising the bar for the inclusion of guidelines in the clearinghouse. Clinical practice guidelines are statements that include recommendations intended to optimize patient care that are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and harms of alternative care options.
  
• The revised inclusion criteria will focus on two elements of the revised 2011 IOM definition: (1) Systematic evidence review; (2) Benefits and harms of care options.
• The final revised criteria will reflect expert knowledge, the input of guideline developers and implementers, and assessment of over 100 guideline documents.
• AHRQ expects to announce the revised inclusion criteria in June 2013.
• AHRQ anticipates implementing the revised criteria to new and updated guidelines in June 2014.

Please send your comments to info@guideline.gov.

Current Definition of Clinical Practice Guideline

NGC employs the definition of clinical practice guideline developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1990.

Clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. [Institute of Medicine. (1990). Clinical Practice Guidelines: Directions for a New Program, M.J. Field and K.N. Lohr (eds.) Washington, DC: National Academy Press. page 38].

Current Criteria for Inclusion of Clinical Practice Guidelines in NGC

All of the criteria below must be met for a clinical practice guideline to be included in NGC.

1. The clinical practice guideline contains systematically developed statements that include recommendations, strategies, or information that assists physicians and/or other health care practitioners and patients to make decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
2. The clinical practice guideline was produced under the auspices of medical specialty associations; relevant professional societies, public or private organizations, government agencies at the Federal, State, or local level; or health care organizations or plans. A clinical practice guideline developed and issued by an individual not officially sponsored or supported by one of the above types of organizations does not meet the inclusion criteria for NGC.
3. Corroborating documentation can be produced and verified that a systematic literature search and review of existing scientific evidence published in peer reviewed journals was performed during the guideline development. A guideline is not excluded from NGC if corroborating documentation can be produced and verified detailing specific gaps in scientific evidence for some of the guideline's recommendations.
4. The full text guideline is available upon request in print or electronic format (for free or for a fee), in the English language. The guideline is current and the most recent version produced. Documented evidence can be produced or verified that the guideline was developed, reviewed, or revised within the last five years.