How to write a guideline: a proposal for a manuscript template that supports the creation of trustworthy guidelines
Publication year
2021Source
Blood Advances, 5, 22, (2021), pp. 4721-4726ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
Internal Medicine
Journal title
Blood Advances
Volume
vol. 5
Issue
iss. 22
Page start
p. 4721
Page end
p. 4726
Subject
Radboudumc 16: Vascular damage RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Internal Medicine - Radboud University Medical CenterAbstract
Trustworthy health guidelines should provide recommendations, document the development process, and highlight implementation information. Our objective was to develop a guideline manuscript template to help authors write a complete and useful report. The McMaster Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Centre collaborated with the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to develop guidelines for the management of venous thromboembolism. A template for reporting the guidelines was developed based on prior approaches and refined using input from other key stakeholders. The proposed guideline manuscript template includes: (1) title for guideline identification, (2) abstract, including a summary of key recommendations, (3) overview of all recommendations (executive summary), and (4) the main text, providing sufficient detail about the entire process, including objectives, background, and methodological decisions from panel selection and conflict-of-interest management to criteria for updating, as well as supporting information, such as links to online (interactive) tables. The template further allows for tailoring to the specific topic, using examples. Initial experience with the ASH guideline manuscript template was positive, and challenges included drafting descriptions of recommendations involving multiple management pathways, tailoring the template for a specific guideline, and choosing key recommendations to highlight. Feedback from a larger group of guideline authors and users will be needed to evaluate its usefulness and refine. The proposed guideline manuscript template is the first detailed template for transparent and complete reporting of guidelines. Consistent application of the template may simplify the preparation of an evidence-based guideline manuscript and facilitate its use.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [244262]
- Electronic publications [131202]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [92892]
- Open Access publications [105229]
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