National Guideline Clearinghouse Is No More: Keep Calm and Search On

Abstract

In July 2018, the National Guideline Clearinghouse lost funding, leaving fewer freely available online guideline collections. Based on the authors’ experience of the 3 major guideline-focused databases that are currently available (Guidelines International Network, the Turning Research into Practice database, and Guideline Central) an easy to use resource with stringent inclusion criteria is currently lacking, though new resources are in development. These 3 resources vary in scope, and none stood out as an all-encompassing favorite. Regardless of the source used to find and access guidelines, clinicians must evaluate guideline quality and currency before using them in clinical practice.

Methods Used to Generate Consensus Statements for Clinical Practice Guidelines

“…While each of these resources is potentially useful, querying physicians must be aware of the limitations of each database, including the inclusion of guidelines that utilized flawed methodologies, the use of varying methodologies for identifying guidelines that meet the search criteria, and the exclusion of guidelines published outside of arbitrary date ranges. 24 Several other widely available databases serve as a repository for published clinical practice guidelines, including PubMed/MEDLINE and professional organization web sites, but these resources often limit access by requiring subscription fees. 24 Professional Organization Web Sites Specific to the field of spine surgery, both the North American Spine Society (NASS) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS) have published numerous clinical guidelines pertaining to the treatment of common spine pathologies.…”

“…24 Several other widely available databases serve as a repository for published clinical practice guidelines, including PubMed/MEDLINE and professional organization web sites, but these resources often limit access by requiring subscription fees. 24 Professional Organization Web Sites Specific to the field of spine surgery, both the North American Spine Society (NASS) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS) have published numerous clinical guidelines pertaining to the treatment of common spine pathologies. NASS clinical practice guidelines are available on their web site and cover highly prevalent pathologies such as the diagnosis and treatment of low back pain, adult isthmic spondylolisthesis, and lumbar disk herniation with radiculopathy, among others.…”

“…Several guideline-focused web sites remain available to clinicians, including the Guidelines International Network (GIN), the Turning Research into Practice (TRIP) database, and Guideline Central. While each of these resources is potentially useful, querying physicians must be aware of the limitations of each database, including the inclusion of guidelines that utilized flawed methodologies, the use of varying methodologies for identifying guidelines that meet the search criteria, and the exclusion of guidelines published outside of arbitrary date ranges 24. Several other widely available databases serve as a repository for published clinical practice guidelines, including PubMed/MEDLINE and professional organization web sites, but these resources often limit access by requiring subscription fees 24…”

Inclusion of Optimal Guidelines for Pharmacists in UpToDate

“…Best practice for finding clinical practice guidelines involves searching multiple resources to consistently maximize the possibility of finding the most recent and relevant clinical practice guidelines. 8…”