Richard Rosenfeld receives G-I-N innovation award

Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, was recognized with the Najoua Mlika-Cabanne Innovation Award at the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) Annual Meeting in September.

The award is named for Najoua Mlika-Cabanne, MD, PhD, the former Deputy Head of the Guidelines Department at the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS, French National Authority for Health), who was known for her significant contributions to the science of clinical guideline development and for having consistently fostered international collaboration and friendship—attributes Dr. Rosenfeld mirrors. With more than 20 years of experience with systematic reviews and clinical practice guideline development, Dr. Rosenfeld’s expertise in the methodology, development, and implementation of guidelines has been sought by the AAO-HNSF, the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Cochrane Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders Group, the New York State Department of Health, and the G-I-N, just to name a few.

“I think most of us who are involved in guideline development are heading in the same direction, and that is to make a difference by what we do,” said Dr. Rosenfeld. “We all see that produced but unused guidelines are useless, and we can probably make the biggest difference when we work together. That’s definitely where I see us making an impact for the greater good … by collaborating, communicating, and working together. I think that’s ultimately the way we’re going to have real results in quality improvement.”

Dr. Rosenfeld has been a driving force behind the clinical practice guideline (CPG)  program at the AAO-HNSF. He is the lead author of the “AAO-HNSF Guideline Development Manual,” which has been cited 150 times, most notably by the Institute of Medicine’s report, “Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust.” He has authored or co-authored 18 clinical practice guidelines and given more than 100 presentations—nationally and internationally—on guideline development, dissemination, and implementation. He is also one of the earliest champions for fully engaging consumers in the guideline process.

“Once you add consumers to a guideline panel, you have a new obligation. You have an obligation to speak about things in ways that everyone can understand. It changes the dynamic and makes for a much more robust guideline. We need all people to speak up, not just content experts dominating a discussion,” said Dr. Rosenfeld.

A true consumer advocate, Dr. Rosenfeld has ensured that guidelines include tools and additional resources that are accessible and understandable to better explain evidence-based recommendations. Dr. Rosenfeld has been instrumental in ensuring that all of the AAO-HNSF CPG panels include consumer representation from Consumers United for Evidence-based Healthcare (CUE), and they are now joined by other consumer groups.

He has served the AAO-HNSF and G-I-N in multiple capacities and is credited with initiating the establishment of the G-I-N North American community, for which he now serves as chair emeritus. He continues to move the AAO-HNSF forward through his role as Senior Advisor on Measures, an effort for quality measures that will advance the implementation of and adherence to published clinical practice guidelines and other quality products.

In May, Dr. Rosenfeld, who is chair of the department of otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, was promoted to distinguished professor, the highest academic rank in the SUNY system, marking the eighth time in the past 50 years that a Downstate faculty member received the honor. The announcement noted, “He is a leader for thousands of otolaryngologists through his guidelines work, and is an intellectual leader as a journal editor, chairman, and mentor to countless colleagues.”

We thank Dr. Rosenfeld for his contributions to the AAO-HNS/F and we applaud his recent recognitions.