gms | German Medical Science

Background: Guideline developer organizations often produce guidelines on the same topics using similar methods. Four guideline developer organizations from different countries explored the possibility of collaborating to produce guidelines more efficiently, reduce duplication of effort, and improve quality.

Objectives: The four guideline developing organizations will present their experiences and lessons learned from their collaboration. Potential benefits and possible obstacles will be discussed. Ideas on more productive working are welcomed and other organizations are invited to join the collaboration.

Target group: Guideline developers

Description: The first step in collaboration is to compare methodologies. The results of the comparison by the four organizations will be presented, and participants of the workshop are invited to compare their own methodology with others. The consequences of using particular methodologies during collaboration (e.g., ADAPTE, GRADE) will be discussed, using the collaboration between CCC NL and KCE on cervical cancer guidelines as an example. Factors that facilitate collaboration, such as timely sharing of annual programs, harmonizing methodologies and the use of common formats, will be presented. Participants of the workshop are invited to discuss and compare their annual programs. The resource implications of international collaboration will also be discussed using cost information from the four collaborating organizations as an example. Participants of the workshop are encouraged to contact each other for collaboration possibilities. In this way, the workshop aims to act as a starting point for collaboration between workshop participants.