Guideline 66 Section 7: Development of the guideline

Diagnosis and management of childhood otitis media in primary care
Section 7: Development of the guideline

7.1 Introduction

SIGN is a collaborative network of clinicians, other healthcare professionals, and patient organisations funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department. SIGN guidelines are developed by multidisciplinary groups of practising clinicians using a standard methodology based on a systematic review of the evidence. Further details about SIGN and the guideline development methodology are contained in “SIGN 50: A Guideline Developer’s Handbook” available at www.sign.ac.uk

7.2 The guideline development group

Professor John Bain (Chairman)	Professor of General Practice, Tayside Centre for General Chairman Practice, University of Dundee
Dr Patricia Townsley (Secretary)	Staff Grade in Community Paediatrics, Secretary Yorkhill NHS Trust, Glasgow
Miss Karen Boyle	Audiologist, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow
Mr John Dempster	Consultant Otolaryngologist, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
Dr Ali El-Ghorr	Programme Manager, SIGN
Dr Peter Ewing	General Practitioner, Crieff
Mr Neil Geddes	Consultant Otolaryngologist, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow
Dr Ann MacKinnon	Senior Clinical Medical Officer (Paediatric Audiology), Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust, Dundee
Dr Adrian Margerison	Community Paediatrician, Borders General Hospital, Roxburghshire
Mr William McKerrow	Consultant Otolaryngologist, Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust, Inverness
Dr Neil Sabiston	General Practitioner, Lossiemouth
Dr Gavin Stark	General Practitioner, Aberdeen

The membership of the guideline development group was confirmed following consultation with the member organisations of SIGN. Declarations of interests were made by all members of the guideline development group. Further details are available from the SIGN Executive.

7.3 Systematic literature review

A thorough literature search was undertaken in Medline, Embase, and Healthstar to obtain material from 1985 to 1999 inclusive. Internet searches on key websites were also conducted and passed on to the group. Additional references were identified by group members and peer reviewers. All material was assessed and evidence synthesised in accordance with SIGN methodology. Material not deemed to be of sufficient quality was discarded.

7.4 Acknowledgements

Ms Joanne Topalian	Programme Manager, SIGN
Mr Alex Haig	Information Officer, Edinburgh
Ms Ann Marie Newall	Former member of the group and Ward Sister, Monklands Hospital, Lanarkshire

7.5 Consultation and peer review

7.5.1 NATIONAL OPEN MEETING

A national open meeting is the main consultative phase of SIGN guideline development, at which the guideline development group presents its draft recommendations for the first time. The national open meeting for this guideline was held on 15 November 2001 and was attended by 80 representatives of all the key specialties relevant to the guideline. The draft guideline was also available on the SIGN website for a limited period at this stage to allow those unable to attend the meeting to contribute to the development of the guideline. The comments received from the national open meeting were considered when the guideline was redrafted for peer review.

7.5.2 SPECIALIST REVIEWERS INVITED TO COMMENT ON THIS DRAFT

The guideline was also reviewed in draft form by a panel of independent expert referees, who were asked to comment primarily on the comprehensiveness and accuracy of interpretation of the evidence base supporting the recommendations in the guideline. SIGN is very grateful to all of these experts for their contribution to this guideline.

Dr Alan Begg	General Practitioner, Montrose
Professor George Browning	MRC Institute of Hearing Research, Glasgow
Professor Mark Haggard	Director, MRC Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham
Mrs Susan Howden	Speech and Language Therapy Centre for Child Health, Dundee
Professor Paul Little	Professor in Primary Care, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton
Dr Richard Maw	Consultant Otolaryngologist, Bristol Royal Hospital For Children
Dr Allan Merry	General Practitioner, Ardrossan
Dr Robert Mills	Consultant Otolaryngologist, University of Edinburgh
Dr Paddy O’Neill	General Practitioner, Norton Medical Centre, Stockton on Tees
Dr Jack Paradise	Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania
Dr Ian Williamson	Senior Lecturer in Primary Medical Care, Southampton University

7.5.3 SIGN EDITORIAL GROUP

As a final quality control check, the guideline is reviewed by an Editorial Group comprising the relevant specialty representatives on SIGN Council to ensure that the peer reviewers’ comments have been addressed adequately and that any risk of bias in the guideline development process as a whole has been minimised. The Editorial Group for this guideline was as follows:

Dr David Alexander	British Medical Association Scottish General Practice Committee
Mrs Hilary Hood	Speech and Language Therapy Department, Centre for Child Health, Dundee, representing Allied Health Care Professions
Professor Gordon Lowe	Chairman of SIGN; Co-Editor
Dr Chris Kelnar	Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health
Dr Lesley MacDonald	Faculty of Public Health Medicine
Dr Safia Qureshi	SIGN Programme Director; Co-Editor
Dr Sara Twaddle	Director of SIGN; Co-Editor
Dr Bernice West	National Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting Advisory Committee

Each member of the guideline development group then approved the final guideline for publication.