Improving the use of research evidence in guideline development: 5. Group processes
2006

Improving Group Processes in Health Care Recommendations

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Atle Fretheim, Holger J. Schünemann, Andreas D. Oxman

Primary Institution: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services

Hypothesis

What should WHO do to ensure appropriate group processes?

Conclusion

Formal consensus methods generally perform as well or better than informal methods in developing health care recommendations.

Supporting Evidence

  • 42% of organizations developing clinical practice guidelines reported using formal consensus methods.
  • Formal methods like the Nominal Group Technique and Delphi method are recommended for better group processes.
  • Selecting a neutral and qualified group leader is crucial for effective group decision-making.

Takeaway

This study looks at how groups can make better health care recommendations by using formal methods to ensure everyone gets a say.

Methodology

The review was based on existing systematic reviews and methodological research without conducting new systematic reviews.

Limitations

The literature search was limited to PubMed and three databases, excluding social science literature.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1478-4505-4-17

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