Role of Consumers in Guideline Development Process

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) inform patient care by providing recommendations based on a thorough examination of risks and benefits of medical care or intervention. With the ever-increasing importance placed on shared decision making, and because of the valuable perspective on patient-related topics and patient-centered outcomes, consumers of health care have been incorporated in the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation CPG development process. Consumers bring a unique perspective and add transparency to the guideline development process. In addition, they are instrumental in formulating patient-friendly recommendations that are easier to understand. Studies that have been done to evaluate the role of consumers in the CPG development process found that consumers had a positive impact. In addition, studies report that consumers felt adequately prepared after appropriate training and education on the process. Further studies are needed to understand how to best engage, train, and educate consumers in future guidelines development.