Table 5.
Suggested template for major sections in a clinical practice guideline
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured summary of objective, methods, purpose, and results |
| Introduction | Brief overview of key issues to engage the reader, including disease burden, target patient, definitions of key terms, and other introductory information |
| Guideline purpose | Explicit statement of why the group undertook the guideline, intended target audience, guideline exclusions, modifying factors (if applicable), and what the current effort adds beyond already published guidelines or literature |
| Healthcare burden | Detailed information from primary sources on incidence, point prevalence, cumulative or lifetime prevalence, patient-based outcomes (e.g., quality of life), direct and indirect costs, and outcomes considered in the guideline |
| Methods | Description of general methods, literature searches, and methodology for assessing levels of evidence, determining strength of recommendation, and handling issues related to competing interests or financial conflicts |
| Guideline key action statements |
General description of the format with a summary table of all statements in the guideline, followed by individual listing of key action statements with corresponding supporting text and evidence profiles |
| Implementation consideration |
Discussion of how the guideline will be disseminated, what anticipated implementation barriers will be encountered and how they will be handled, and what supporting materials will be developed for implementation |
| Research needs | Suggestions for future research to fill evidence gaps identified in the process of guideline development |
| Disclaimer | Legal disclaimer approved by the organization regarding guidelines |
| Acknowledgments | Recognition of individuals and their contribution to the guideline |
| Author information | Author affiliations and contributions to the manuscript |
| Financial disclosure | Full disclosure of competing interests for all authors, including those not deemed relevant to guideline content |
| References | Literature citations |