The Health Information and Quality Authority has launched the National Quality Assurance Criteria for Clinical Guidelines.

Developed following a nationwide consultation, this guidance document sets out criteria to quality assure clinical guidelines. This is part of HIQA’s work to support continuous improvement in the quality and safety of healthcare in Ireland.

These new criteria outline how to develop high quality clinical guidelines and what to include in them. Complying with these criteria will ensure the process for development is open and robust and that the resulting clinical guidelines are evidence based, easily understood and can lead to improved health for patients.

The criteria also direct people who are creating clinical guidelines to consider the health benefits, side effects, risks, cost-effectiveness, resource implications and health service delivery issues in developing the recommendations.

Dr Deirdre Mulholland, Head of Standards and Methodology, HIQA said “These National Quality Assurance Criteria will support the development of good quality clinical guidelines that are evidence based and cost-effective.

“Having good quality clinical guidelines will help people using healthcare services make informed choices and support healthcare professionals in making decisions for their patients that are based on the best available evidence.

“Implementing guidelines that follow these criteria can also improve efficiency in the healthcare system in Ireland within the limited available resources.”

The National Quality Assurance Criteria for Clinical Guidelines are based on international evidence but place greater emphasis on issues that have higher relevance and importance within the Irish healthcare system.

These criteria support the work of the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee (NCEC) in promoting clinical effectiveness in the Irish Healthcare system. The committee aims to quality assure clinical guidelines and those that fulfill these criteria will be recommended to the Minister for Health for approval to become part of a suite of National Clinical Guidelines.

Further Information: 

Sinead Whooley, Communications Manager, Health Information and Quality Authority
Tel: 01 814 7488/ 087 922 1941 Email: swhooley@hiqa.ie

Notes to the Editor: 

Clinical guidelines are a set of recommendations that help healthcare professionals (doctors, consultants, nurses etc) decide which treatment or medical practice is the most appropriate for their patients, depending on the specific conditions involved.