Heartbeat: principles for excellence in development of clinical guidelines

TLDR: Otto et al. as discussed by the authors summarized the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) principles and processes for development of clinical guidelines in England, and compared the NICE methodology with the current approach of our cardiovascular professional societies, as well as to established reporting criteria for clinical practice guidelines.

Abstract: Clinical guidelines have become a core element in optimising care for patients with cardiovascular disease. However, the quality of guidelines depends on a rigorous unbiased process that integrates the clinical evidence with input from a range of stakeholders. In this issue of Heart , Garbi1 summarises the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) principles and processes for development of clinical guidelines in England. The discussion is divided into four key areas: (1) Guideline development by an independent advisory committee includes aligning recommendations with national health policies, and involvement of patients, patient-advocates, and the public as well as healthcare professionals. (2) Recommendations should be based on relevant, reliable and robust evidence and should include consideration of cost-effectiveness and population benefit. (3) Guidelines should support innovation and reduce healthcare inequalities. (4) Finally, ensuring guideline implementation and providing regular updates are essential. In the accompanying editorial, Otto, Kudenchuk and Newby2 compare the NICE methodology with the current approach of our cardiovascular professional societies, as well as to established reporting criteria for clinical practice guidelines (figure 1).3 They propose several areas for improvement including cooperative development of a common evidence database; a rigorous transparent process based on established standards; a more diverse group of stakeholders; minimising conflicts of interest; support by information specialists, medical writers and other relevant experts; regular updates; adaptation for regional …