Proposals for evidence-based clinical guidelines

15 July 2024

The Guidelines Steering Group (GSG) seek topic suggestions for future evidence-based guidelines for clinical practice. Professionals from any clinical discipline in the UK rheumatology community may make them.

Ideas submitted by the deadline of 16 September 2024 will be considered at the autumn meeting of the GSG.

Our guidelines are developed using the methods and processes outlined in Creating Clinical Guidelines: British Society for Rheumatology Protocol. Users of the BSR guideline protocol can be confident of the quality of the final guidance.

Each proposal should:

1. provide a short title and the specific objective(s) for the proposed guideline
2. provide an overview (<2 pages) of the topic that highlight relevant background information (with key supporting references)
3. explain the burden/importance of the condition/health care intervention. SAGWG will want to gauge if it is large enough to warrant guideline development. If you can, provide some estimate of the burden (e.g., incidence, prevalence, costs).
4. explain if there is uncertainty or controversy about the relative effectiveness of the available clinical strategies for the condition(s) for which a guideline is proposed. If you can, provide some examples/assessment of this uncertainty.
5. describe perceived or documented variation in practice in the management of a given condition or use of a particular health care intervention. Provide some assessment/references related to significant differences in practice patterns.
6. show if there sufficient scientific evidence of good quality to allow development of a guideline. Provide some references, particularly randomised controlled studies to support the development of systematic reviews and analysis of the topic.
7. state if there are existing guidelines on the proposed topic. If a guideline was to be developed and we assume appropriate dissemination, can you argue that it would make a significant impact on clinical decision-making/clinical outcomes and/or reduce practice variation?

Questions 1 – 7 Reprinted/adapted with permission. ©2013. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Submit your proposal via our online form below and email all queries to guidelines@rheumatology.org.uk