Table 1 Summary of the WHO guideline development process
Stage | Required steps to develop WHO Guidelines |
|---|---|
Planning | WHO Technical Unit |
• Form the WHO Steering Group (WSG) | |
WSG | |
• Draft the scope of the guideline; begin preparing the planning proposal | |
• Identify potential members of the GDG and its Chair(s) | |
• Obtain declaration of interests and manage any conflicts of interest among potential GDG members | |
WSG and GDG | |
• Formulate key questions in PICO format; prioritize outcomes | |
WSG | |
• Finalize the planning proposal and submit it to the GRC for review | |
GRC | |
• Review and approve the planning proposal | |
Development | Commissioning of systematic reviews |
• Develop a process to commission systematic reviews through a request for proposals | |
• Perform systematic reviews of the evidence for each key question, and any additional literature reviews as needed | |
• Evaluate the quality of the evidence for each important outcome, using GRADE methodology | |
WSG | |
• Convene meetings among the GDG members and review | |
GDG | |
• Formulate recommendations using the GRADE framework | |
External review group | |
• Conduct external peer review | |
Publishing and updating | WSG |
• Finalize the guideline document; perform copy-editing and technical editing; submit the final guideline to the GRC for review and approval | |
GRC | |
• Review and approve the final guideline | |
WSG | |
• Finalize the layout; proofread | |
• Publish, disseminate, implement | |
WHO Technical Unit | |
• Evaluate and update |