GUIDELINE ADAPTATION: WHAT IS IT? HOW TO DO IT? WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE OT?

Introduction Clinical guidelines are systematically developed statements that assist health professionals in delivering appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. Worldwide thousands of validated guidelines... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction
Clinical guidelines are systematically developed statements that assist health professionals in delivering appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. Worldwide thousands of validated guidelines have been developed. Not every guideline is ready to be used in the particular health care system of a country.
Purpose
To adapt a multi-disciplinary guideline on complex chronic diseases to the local context.
Method
A multidisciplinary authorgroup with methodological knowledge of guideline adaptation was composed. An editor coordinated the process.
Step 1: Formulate clinical questions and submit them to a team of stakeholders to evaluate the questions on relevance and currant needs.
Step 2: Select existing relevant clinical guidelines and evaluate them using the Agree II-instrument.
Step 3: Adapt a high quality guideline using the ADAPT-procedure.
Step 4: Present the draft of the adapted guideline to stakeholders to adjust to the local context.
Step 5: Adjust based on the feedback of the stakeholders
Results
A multi-disciplinary guideline of a complex chronic disease was successful adapted and implemented on an electronic evidence based platform. The descision to select the occupational therapist as editor was based on the holistic vision of the profession occupational therapy.
Conclusion and discussion
To succeed in high quality guideline development, the authors must interpret the particular professional literature correctly. Therefore it is important that representatives of all relevant occupations participate at the development process.
In guideline development and adaptation of complex chronic diseases, an occupational therapist who is skilled in guideline development has the proper profile to coordinate the development procedure.