Table 2

Typical stages involved in traditional clinical guideline development.

Step	Task	Description
Establish a guideline development group	Selection of members	Assembly of multidisciplinary team of health care professionals, experts in guideline methodology.
Establish a guideline development group	Defining roles	Chairpersons, methodologists, and administrative support.
Defining scope and purpose	Clinical questions:	Use PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) framework to formulate specific questions the guideline will address.
	Target group	Define for whom (health care professionals and patient populations) the guidelines are intended.
	Goals	Establish the goals and objectives of the guideline.
Literature review and evidence synthesis	Systematic review	Conduct a systematic literature review.
Literature review and evidence synthesis	Evidence grading	Grade the quality of evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) systems.
Developing recommendations	Evidence to decision algorithms	Translate evidence into recommendations considering benefits, risks, patient values, costs, and economic feasibility.
Developing recommendations	Draft recommendations	Develop clear and actionable recommendations based on the strength of the evidence.
External review and public comment	Peer review	Ensure credibility and reliability of the information via feedback from peers to enhance acceptability and applicability.
	Stakeholder input	Include feedback from patients and public to enhance acceptability and applicability.
Finalizing the guideline	Revision	Revise based on external review.
	Formatting	Ensure the guideline is clear and user-friendly.
	Approval	Seek formal approval from the governing organization.
Dissemination and implementation	Publication	Publish the guideline in medical journals and on professional society websites.
	Education	Develop educational and promotional materials and programs.
	Tools and resources	Create checklists, flowcharts, or apps to facilitate implementation.
Evaluation and updating	Monitoring	Establish processes to monitor the adoption and impact.
	Updating	Plan for regular updates as new evidence emerges, typically every 3–5 years.