News

Australian clinical practice guidelines - a national study

May 2, 2010

The Medical Journal of Australia has published an NHMRC study on the number and characteristics of Australian clinical practice guidelines. The study describes many of the the issues that led  the NHMRC to develop a national clinical practice guidelines portal.

Reference: Med J Aust 2010: 192(9):490-494.

Guidelines removed from the portal

April 19, 2010

The following guidelines have been rescinded or updated by their developers and have been removed from the portal:

256: Living kidney donation (including directed and non-directed donation) (NSW Health 2007)

281: RH D immunoglobulin (anti-D)  (NSW Health 2005)

288: Newborn screening guidelines (NSW Health 2005)

290: Tuberculin skin testing (NSW Health 2009)

291: Tuberculosis contact tracing (NSW Health 2005)

298: Children and infants with seizures - acute management (NSW Health 2006)

419: Interim Northern Territory guidelines for the management of sexually transmitted infections in the primary health care setting (Northern Territory Department of Health and Community services 2006)

467: Therapeutic guidelines respiratory volume 2 (2005)

542: Guidelines for the investigation and treatment of infants at risk of congenital syphilis in the Northern Territory (Northern Territory Department of Health and Community services 2005)

543: Malaria guidelines for health professionals in the Northern Territory 5th edition (Northern Territory Department of Health and Community services 2007)

843: Clinical practice guidelines: acute management of young children and infants with gastroenteritis (NSW Health 2005)

913: Acute pain management: scientific evidence second edition (Australian & New Zealand College of Anaesthetists 2005)

1202: Preventing falls and harm from falls in older people: best practice guidelines for Australian hospitals and residential aged care facilities (Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care 2005)

1275: Preventing falls and harm from falls in older people: Best practice guidelines for Australian hospitals and residential aged care facilities (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care 2008)

1371: A revised guide to the diagnosis of polycythaemia (Medicine Today 2008)

935: Rural Adult Emergency Clinical Guidelines 2nd Edition (NSW Health 2007)

If you require copies of any of these guidelines please contact the relevant developer

Australian guideline developer network

April 1, 2010

The NHMRC is gauging interest for the development of an Australian Guideline Developers Network which will be open to individuals whose work involves the development of clinical practice guidelines. It is envisaged that the network will support developers by providing access to experts, access to education opportunities and facilitating peer to peer communication at a local level, as well as collaborative projects run through the Guidelines International Network. The first network event will be a workshop in Melbourne on 17th June 2010. For more details, or to obtain an expression of interest form, contact clinicalguidelines@nhmrc.gov.au.

Australian first Clinical Practice Guidelines Portal and Register now a reality

March 1, 2010

A new national Clinical Practice Guidelines Portal was launched today (26 February 2010) that will provide links to current Australian guidelines developed by governments, professional colleges, specialty societies and non-government agencies.

Clinical practice guidelines are critical tools used by health professionals and researchers to improve the health of Australians, yet in the past have often been hard to locate, difficult to access and sometimes out of date.

Developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Institute of Clinical Studies, the new national portal is a ‘one stop shop’ for clinicians, researchers, policy makers and consumers to access guidelines developed during the preceding five years for use in the Australian health care system.

In addition to the Portal, the NHMRC has developed a national clinical practice Guidelines in Development Register. This Register contains information about clinical practice guidelines that are planned or currently being developed in Australia.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Mark Butler, who launched the Portal and Register today in Melbourne, said there is strong support for these in the clinical community.

“Australia is a world leader in guideline development and implementation and the new Portal will improve access to the latest, evidence-based resources,” Mr Butler said.

“The Register is about efficiency, collaboration and transparency. It will improve the coordination of guideline activities in Australia, avoid duplication and help prioritise needs.”

2004 guidelines removed from the Portal

January 7, 2010

The following guidelines published in 2004 were removed from the Portal in January 2010 as they are now more than five years old (see Portal selection criterion 4):

57: Asthma and lung function tests: an information paper for health professionals (National Asthma Council)

631: Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of anorexia nervosa (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists)

588: Clinical effectiveness of different approaches to peritoneal dialysis catheter exit-site care (Joanna Briggs Institute)

529: Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of lung cancer (Australian Cancer Network)

148: CMV (cytomegalovirus) disease and kidney transplantation (Caring for Australasians With Renal Impairment)

313: Consensus statement on diabetes control in preparation for pregnancy (Collaborating Authors)

118: Evidence for peritonitis treatment and prophylaxis (Caring for Australasians With Renal Impairment)

592: Oral hygiene care for adults with dementia in residential aged care facilities (Joanna Briggs Institute)

108: Smoking cessation guidelines for Australian general practice (Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy)

590: Strategies to manage sleep in residents of aged care facilities (Joanna Briggs Institute)

If you require copies of any of these guidelines please contact the relevant developer

Tell us what you would like to see on the Portal

October 30, 2009

In later versions of the Portal we plan to introduce a number of tools and resources to improve the user experience. Features currently under consideration include guideline summaries, guideline comparisons and an archive of expired guidelines. Let us know what you would like to see.

Who advises the NHMRC on the Portal and Register?

October 30, 2009

The NHMRC has formed a Guideline Editorial and Advisory Committee to provide advice on the management of the Portal and Register. The Committee is comprised of members with a wide range of clinical practice guideline development experience and includes nominees from the National Stroke Foundation, the National Heart Foundation, Therapeutic Guidelines, the Joanna Briggs Institute, the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre, Beyond Blue, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Cancer Australia, Women's and Children's Hospitals of Australasia and Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment.