The GIN-McMaster Guideline Tool Extension for the Integration of Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance in Guidelines: a description of the methods for its development

Background: While international consensus on principles for the development of trustworthy guidelines exists, guidance for harmonized development of guideline-based quality indicators and performance measures and their integration in quality assurance and improvement (QAI) is lacking. Objective: Our objective was to develop an extension of the widely used GIN-McMaster Guideline Development Checklist and Tool for integration of QAI and guideline development. Design: We used a mixed-methods approach incorporating evidence from a systematic review, an expert workshop, a survey of experts, and iteratively refined an extension of the checklist for QAI through 3 rounds of feedback with a working group. As part of this process, we also refined criteria of a good guideline-based quality indicator. Results: We developed a 40-item checklist extension addressing integration of QAI into guideline development. The steps span from ‘organization, budget, planning and training’, to updating of QAI and guideline implementation. Limitations: This checklist represents the results of a consensus process and requires prospective validation in guideline and QAI integrations. Conclusions: We have developed a tool to support integration of QAI schemes into guideline development initiatives and it will be used in a forthcoming integrated initiative from the European Commission.

PIGGOTT Thomas;  LANGENDAM Miranda;  PARMELLI Elena;  ADOLFSSON Jan;  AKL Elie;  ARMSTRONG David;  BRAITHWAITE Jeffrey;  BRIGNARDELLO-PETERSEN Romina;  BROZEK Jan;  FOLLMANN Markus;  KOPP Ina;  MEERPOHL Joerg;  NEAMTIU Luciana;  NOTHACKER Monika;  QASEEM Amir;  GIORGI ROSSI Paolo;  SAZ PARKINSON Zuleika Esther;  VAN DER WEES Philip;  SCHÜNEMANN Holger; 

2023-06-26

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

JRC128243

0895-4356 (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895435622000853,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128243,   

10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.04.002 (online),