Evaluation of the PAHO/WHO Training Workshop on Guideline Development Methods, May 9, 10 2011 Coordination Public Policies and Research Team - Health Systems Based on Primary Health care (HSS)
Objectives The workshop was conducted by Dr. Holger J. Schünemann, Pablo Alonso, Reem Mustafa from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University and Regina Kulier from the Secretariat of the Guideline Review Committee from WHO. The workshop responds to the findings of the evaluation of PAHO/WHO guidelines (presented at the Managers Meeting in Quito, at the Advisory Committee on Health Research, at the PAHO Meeting on Technical Guidelines in April 2009) as well as to the implementation of the WHO Guideline Review Committee strategy that aims to improve guidelines development.
Summary of commentaries and /questions about guideline development in PAHO: During the sessions, participants and facilitators raised and discussed a number of issues concerning the production of guidelines at PAHO:
-
Establishing guide to documents that are not considered “guidelines” by the GRC handbook 1 such as o
Documents containing standards for manufacturing health technologies such as pharmaceuticals and vaccines;
o
Operational manuals
o
Documents that describe standard operating procedures for organizations or systems
o
Documents that state establishes principles
o
Documents that provide information on different options for interventions without recommending any particular intervention
-
How will PAHO incorporates the Guideline Review Committee recommended processes?
-
How will PAHO develop and implement procedures for guideline development that ensure that guidelines are consistent with internationally accepted best practices?
-
Exploring ways to ensure that PAHO guideline proposals and final manuscripts could be evaluated whether by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee or by a PAHO Guidelines Review Committee.
-
How PAHO will coordinate and provide support to departments producing guidelines
-
Including speaking Spanish, Portuguese and French members as part of the WHO Guidelines Review Committee.
-
Ensuring that all guidelines prepared by PAHO staff comply with the WHO handbook for developing Guidelines
-
Developing and implementing a plan to ensure that the staff developing guidelines in PAHO have appropriate knowledge of the approved methods for guideline development.
1
Monitoring the quality of PAHO guidelines
World Health Organization. WHO Handbook for Guideline Development March 2010.