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Hodder RK, Vogel JP, Wolfenden L, Turner T. Living Systematic Reviews and Living Guidelines to Maintain the Currency of Public Health Guidelines. Am J Public Health 2024; 114:21-26. [PMID: 38091567 PMCID: PMC10726929 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2023.307450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K Hodder
- Rebecca K. Hodder is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia. Luke Wolfenden is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Cochrane Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia. Joshua P. Vogel is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Tari Turner is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joshua P Vogel
- Rebecca K. Hodder is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia. Luke Wolfenden is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Cochrane Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia. Joshua P. Vogel is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Tari Turner is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Luke Wolfenden
- Rebecca K. Hodder is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia. Luke Wolfenden is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Cochrane Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia. Joshua P. Vogel is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Tari Turner is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tari Turner
- Rebecca K. Hodder is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Wallsend, Australia. Luke Wolfenden is with the College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia and Cochrane Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia. Joshua P. Vogel is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Tari Turner is with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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McDonald S, Hill K, Li HZ, Turner T. Evidence surveillance for a living clinical guideline: Case study of the Australian stroke guidelines. Health Info Libr J 2023. [PMID: 37942888 DOI: 10.1111/hir.12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Continual evidence surveillance is an integral feature of living guidelines. The Australian Stroke Guidelines include recommendations on 100 clinical topics and have been 'living' since 2018. OBJECTIVES To describe the approach for establishing and evaluating an evidence surveillance system for the living Australian Stroke Guidelines. METHODS We developed a pragmatic surveillance system based on an analysis of the searches for the 2017 Stroke Guidelines and evaluated its reliability by assessing the potential impact on guideline recommendations. Search retrieval and screening workload are monitored monthly, together with the frequency of changes to the guideline recommendations. RESULTS Evidence surveillance was guided by practical considerations of efficiency and sustainability. A single PubMed search covering all guideline topics, limited to systematic reviews and randomised trials, is run monthly. The search retrieves about 400 records a month of which a sixth are triaged to the guideline panels for further consideration. Evaluations with Epistemonikos and the Cochrane Stroke Trials Register demonstrated the robustness of adopting this more restrictive approach. Collaborating with the guideline team in designing, implementing and evaluating the surveillance is essential for optimising the approach. CONCLUSION Monthly evidence surveillance for a large living guideline is feasible and sustainable when applying a pragmatic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve McDonald
- Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kelvin Hill
- Stroke Services, Stroke Foundation, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Heidi Z Li
- Stroke Services, Stroke Foundation, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tari Turner
- Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Cheyne S, Chakraborty S, Lewis S, Campbell S, Turner T, Norris S. What could health technology assessment learn from living clinical practice guidelines? Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1234414. [PMID: 37693902 PMCID: PMC10484706 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1234414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A "living" approach to clinical practice guidelines is when the identification, appraisal and synthesis of evidence is maintained and repeated at an agreed frequency, with a clear process for when and how new evidence is to be incorporated. The value of a living approach to guidelines was emphasised during the COVID-19 pandemic when health professionals and policymakers needed to make decisions regarding patient care in the context of a nascent but rapidly evolving evidence base. In this perspective, we draw on our recent experience developing Australian and international living guidelines and reflect on the feasibility of applying living guideline methods and processes to a lifecycle approach to health technology assessment (HTA). We believe the opportunities and challenges of adopting a living approach in HTA fall into five key themes: identification, appraisal and synthesis of evidence; optimising the frequency of updates; embedding ongoing multi-stakeholder engagement; linking the emergence of new evidence to reimbursement; and system capacity to support a living approach. We acknowledge that the suitability of specific living approaches to HTA will be heavily influenced by the type of health technology, its intended use in the health system, local reimbursement pathways, and other policy settings. But we believe that the methods and processes applied successfully to guideline development to manage evidentiary uncertainty could be applied in the context of HTA and reimbursement decision-making to help manage similar sources of uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Cheyne
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Samantha Chakraborty
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - Tari Turner
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah Norris
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Hereco, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Tovey D, Tricco AC. Editors' Choice: March 2023. J Clin Epidemiol 2023; 155:A1-A2. [PMID: 37121626 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
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Hewitt J, McDonald S, Poole A, White H, Turner S, Turner T. Weekly updating of guideline recommendations was feasible: the Australian National COVID-19 clinical evidence Taskforce. J Clin Epidemiol 2023; 155:131-136. [PMID: 36813003 PMCID: PMC9939393 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate how quickly evidence was incorporated into the Australian living guidelines for COVID-19 during the first 12 months of the pandemic. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING For each study concerning drug therapies included in the guideline from April 3, 2020 to April 1, 2021, we extracted the publication date of the study, and the guideline version the study was included in. We analyzed two subgroups of studies as follows: those published in high impact factor journals and those with 100 or more participants. RESULTS In the first year, we published 37 major versions of the guidelines, incorporating 129 studies that investigated 48 drug therapies informing 115 recommendations. The median time from first publication of a study to incorporation in the guideline was 27 days (interquartile range [IQR], 16 to 44), ranging from 9 to 234 days. For the 53 studies in the highest impact factor journals, the median was 20 days (IQR 15 to 30), and for the 71 studies with 100 or more participants the median was 22 days (IQR 15 to 36). CONCLUSION Developing and sustaining living guidelines where evidence is rapidly incorporated is a resource- and time-intensive undertaking; however, this study demonstrates that it is feasible, even over a long period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Hewitt
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 Street Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Steve McDonald
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 Street Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Alex Poole
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 Street Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Heath White
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 Street Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Simon Turner
- Biostatistics Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 Street Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Tari Turner
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 Street Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
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Cheyne S, Fraile Navarro D, Buttery AK, Chakraborty S, Crane O, Hill K, McFarlane E, Morgan RL, Mustafa RA, Poole A, Tunnicliffe D, Vogel JP, White H, Whittle S, Turner T. Methods for living guidelines: early guidance based on practical experience. Paper 3: selecting and prioritizing questions for living guidelines. J Clin Epidemiol 2023; 155:73-83. [PMID: 36603743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This article is part of a series on methods for living guidelines, consolidating practical experiences from developing living guidelines. It focuses on methods for identification, selection, and prioritization of clinical questions for a living approach to guideline development. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING Members of the Australian Living Evidence Consortium, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence and the US Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations Network, convened a working group. All members have expertize and practical experience in the development of living guidelines. We collated methods, documents on prioritization from each organization's living guidelines, conducted interviews and held working group discussions. We consolidated these to form best practice principles which were then edited and agreed on by the working group members. RESULTS We developed best practice principles for (1) identification, (2) selection, and (3) prioritization, of questions for a living approach to guideline development. Several different strategies for undertaking prioritizing questions are explored. CONCLUSION The article provides guidance for prioritizing questions in living guidelines. Subsequent articles in this series explore consumer involvement, search decisions, and methods decisions that are appropriate for questions with different priority levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Cheyne
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - David Fraile Navarro
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Samantha Chakraborty
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Olivia Crane
- National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Emma McFarlane
- National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, Manchester, UK
| | - Rebecca L Morgan
- Evidence Foundation, USA; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, McMaster, Canada
| | - Reem A Mustafa
- Evidence Foundation, USA; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, McMaster, Canada; University of Kansas Medical Center, KS, USA
| | - Alex Poole
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - David Tunnicliffe
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Kidney Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
| | - Joshua P Vogel
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Burnet Institute, Australia
| | - Heath White
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Samuel Whittle
- Australia and New Zealand Musculoskeletal (ANZMUSC) Clinical Trials Network, Melbourne, Australia; The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, South Australia, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tari Turner
- Australian Living Evidence Consortium, Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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