Guideline 70 Section 9: Development of the guideline

Diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults
Section 9: Development of the guideline

9.1 Introduction

SIGN is a collaborative network of clinicians, other healthcare professionals, and patient organisations, funded by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. 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

9.2 The guideline development group

Dr Richard Roberts	Consultant Neurologist, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee Chairman
Dr Maria Elena Farrugia	Specialist Registrar, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee Secretary
Ms Sheena Bevan	Quarriers Epilepsy Fieldworker, Aberdeen
Professor Martin Brodie	Director, Epilepsy Unit, Western Infirmary, Glasgow
Ms Eleanor Caldwell	Patient Representative, Stirling
Ms Francesca Chappell	Information Officer, SIGN
Dr Roger Cull	Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh
Dr Duncan Davidson	Consultant Neurologist, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
Dr Rod Duncan	Lead Clinician, West of Scotland Regional Epilepsy Service
Dr Ali El-Ghorr	Programme Manager, SIGN
Dr Janet Fitton	General Practitioner, Strathdon Medical Centre, Aberdeenshire
Dr Linda Gerrie	Consultant Neurologist, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Dr Rod Gibson	Consultant Neuroradiologist, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh
Dr Ruth Gillham	Neuropsychologist, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow
Dr Margaret Jackson	Consultant Neurologist, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle
Dr Stewart Jarvie	Clinical Psychologist, Leverndale Hospital, Glasgow
Ms Hilary Mounfield	Chief Executive, Epilepsy Scotland
Ms Fiona Needleman	Senior Pharmacist, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow
Ms Angela Norman	Epilepsy Nurse Specialist, Ryehill Health Centre, Dundee
Dr Anne O’Hare	Consultant Paediatrician, Community Child Health, Edinburgh
Dr Mary O’Regan	Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Glasgow
Dr Andrew Orr	General Practitioner, Montrose
Dr Pauline Robertson	Consultant Psychiatrist, Eastern General Hospital, Edinburgh
Dr Norman Smith	Consultant Obstetrician, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
Dr Linda Stephen	Deputy Director, Epilepsy Unit, Western Infirmary, Glasgow

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. Guideline development and literature review expertise, support, and facilitation were provided by the SIGN Executive.

9.3 Systematic literature review

The evidence base for this guideline was synthesised in accordance with SIGN methodology. A systematic review of the literature was carried out using an explicit search strategy devised by a SIGN Information Officer. Databases searched include Medline, Embase, Healthstar, Cinahl, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Library. The year range covered was 1996-2001. Internet searches were carried out on various websites including the New Zealand Guidelines Programme, the UK Health Technology Assessment programme, and the US National Guidelines Clearinghouse. The Medline version of the main search strategies can be found on the SIGN Website, in the section covering supplementary guideline material. The main searches were supplemented by material identified by individual members of the development group. All selected papers were evaluated by two members of the group using standard SIGN methodological checklists before conclusions were considered as evidence.

9.4 Consultation and peer review

9.4.1 NATIONAL OPEN MEETING

A national open meeting is the main consultative phase of SIGN guideline development, at which the guideline development group present their draft recommendations for the first time. The national open meeting for this guideline was held on 23 November 2001 and was attended by around 150 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.

9.4.2 SPECIALIST REVIEW

The guideline was 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 David Chadwick	Consultant in Neurology, Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosugery, Liverpool
Professor John Duncan	Consultant in Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
Dr Morgan Feely	Physician/Clinical Pharmacologist, Leeds General Infirmary
Dr Bill Hall	General Practitioner, Settle
Ms Sharon Hems	Pharmacy Department, St Johns’s Hospital at Howden, Livingston
Dr Frank Johnstone	Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Edinburgh
Dr Mike Kerr	Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, Clinical Studies Unit, Cardiff
Ms Jan Maxwell	Nurse Specialist, Yorkhill NHS Trust
Ms Shirley Maxwell	Project Coordinator, Epilepsy Connections, Glasgow
Dr Allan Merry	General Practitioner, Ardrossan
Dr Grahame Mitchell	General Practitioner, Aultbea
Dr Jim Morrow	Consultant in Neurology, Belfast City Hospital
Ms Alessia Radice	Enlighten - Action for Epilepsy, Edinburgh
Dr John Reid	General Practitioner, Alford
Dr Tim Shallcross	Consultant in General Medicine, Caithness General Hospital, Wick
Professor Simon Shorvon	Professor of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
Dr Matthew Walker	Lecturer in Neurology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, London

9.4.3 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
Professor Gordon Lowe	Chairman of SIGN; Co-Editor
Dr Lesley Macdonald	Faculty of Public Health Medicine
Mrs Fiona McMillan	Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Dr Safia Qureshi	Programme Director, SIGN; Co-Editor
Dr Sara Twaddle	Director of SIGN; Co-Editor
Professor Joanna Wardlaw	Royal College of Radiologists
Dr Peter Wimpenny	School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Robert Gordon University

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

Diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults Section 9: Development of the guideline

Diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults
Section 9: Development of the guideline