Published: June 25, 2019

G-I-N and Cochrane Scholars Spotlight

The AAO-HNSF is committed to developing and disseminating evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and has partnered with the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) and the Cochrane Collaboration to further this goal.


The AAO-HNSF is committed to developing and disseminating evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and has partnered with the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) and the Cochrane Collaboration to further this goal.

The Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) is an international not-for-profit association of organizations and individuals involved in CPGs. G-I-N promotes the systematic development of CPGs and provides access to an international guideline library. The G-I-N Scholars program provides grants for members to attend the G-I-N conference. Requirements for grant recipients include commitments to collaborate with the AAO-HNSF as a panel member or assistant chair of an upcoming guideline panel and to submit a commentary pertaining to CPGs to Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.
 

Anne“I was a fortunate recipient of the G-I-N North America (EGAPPSII) Scholar award in 2017. This experience introduced me to the foundations and principles of the guideline development process. With this background, I have served as Assistant-Chair for the Nosebleed (Epistaxis) Clinical Practice Guideline. It was an incredible experience to be involved in the development process because it is simply efficient, methodical, and systematic. The involvement of multiple experts, different specialists, and consumer advocates allows for expression of numerous vantage points while simultaneously making the guideline articulate and comprehensive. In other words, it is a ‘well-oiled machine.’”

Samantha Anne, MD
2017 G-I-N Scholar

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international network that works together to gather and summarize the best evidence from research to help people make informed choices about healthcare treatment. They do this by preparing, updating, and promoting accessibility of high-quality systematic reviews, which become part of the Cochrane library. The Cochrane Scholars Program, supported by SAGE, publisher of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and OTO Open, provides travel grants to attend the Cochrane Colloquium. Grant recipients must agree to initiate and submit a systemic review to Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Many Cochrane scholars have gone on to serve on AAO-HNSF CPG panels.
 

Bush “Evidence-based medicine is valuable for every otolaryngologist. Accurate and meaningful evidence can improve our effectiveness and safety. Gaining a deeper understanding of the science behind evidence-based medicine has been career-enriching for me. It was an immense honor to participate in recent international Cochrane courses, which provided enlightening didactic content regarding systematic reviews and meta-analyses along with new collaborative relationships. These opportunities have allowed me to serve our field through systematic review publication and clinical practice guideline development. I’ve found that practical knowledge and experience in evidence-based medicine research and initiatives has made me a better clinician, researcher, and teacher.”

Matthew L. Bush, MD, PhD
2017 Cochrane Scholar


More from July 2019 - Vol. 38, No. 6