PROCEEDINGS OF THE 1994 CANADIAN CLINICAL-PRACTICE GUIDELINES NETWORKWORKSHOP

A workshop on the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) Network was held in Ottawa on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 1994. Five plenary sessions focused o n CPGs and the roles of organizations, priority setting, dissemination and implementation, evaluation, and establishment of a network of ind ividuals and organizations active in the CPG field. In general, the pa rticipants identified consumers as important stakeholders in CPG proce sses and agreed that there was a role for national coordination and in formation gathering; however, local and regional bodies have a role in CPG development, dissemination and implementation. Burden of illness and likeliness that the guidelines would affect the burden were key cr iteria for setting priorities. Eighteen high-priority topics were iden tified for CPG development and dissemination. Methods to enhance the e ffectiveness of dissemination and implementation were identified; impr oved funding, enhanced research and decreased duplication of effort. B arriers to CPG evaluation were lack of funding and inadequate data sou rces. Voluntary self-audit was the preferred evaluation method. The pa rticipants agreed on three important functions of the network: facilit ation; cooperation and communication, operation of a central CPG infor mation centre; and provision of expertise in CPG processes. They also agreed to the use of existing organization as a secretariat for the ne twork, with a voluntary, informal membership of all those interested.