RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Canadian Association of Radiologists Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guidelines: a guideline development protocol
JF CMAJ Open
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP E248
OP E254
DO 10.9778/cmajo.20220098
VO 11
IS 2
A1 Hamel, Candyce
A1 Margau, Ryan
A1 Pageau, Paul
A1 Venturi, Marc
A1 Esmaeilisaraji, Leila
A1 Avard, Barb
A1 Campbell, Sam
A1 Corser, Noel
A1 Dea, Nicolas
A1 Kwok, Edmund
A1 MacLean, Cathy
A1 Sarrazin, Erin
A1 Yong-Hing, Charlotte J.
A1 Zaki-Metias, Kaitlin
YR 2023
UL http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/11/2/E248.abstract
AB Background: Comprehensive diagnostic imaging referral guidelines are an important tool to assist referring clinicians and radiologists in determining the safest and best-clinical-value diagnostic imaging study for their patients; the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) last produced its diagnostic imaging referral guidelines in 2012. In partnership with several national organizations, referring clinicians, radiologists, and patient and family advisors from across Canada, the association is redoing its referral guidelines using a new methodology for guideline development, and these guideline recommendations will be suited for integration into clinical decision support systems.Methods: Expert panels of radiologists, referring clinicians and a patient advisor will work with epidemiologists at the CAR to create guidelines across 13 clinical sections. The expert panel for each section will first create a comprehensive list of clinical and diagnostic scenarios to include in the guidelines. Canadian Association of Radiologists epidemiologists will then conduct a systematic rapid scoping review to identify systematically produced guidelines from other guideline groups. The corresponding expert panel will develop diagnostic imaging recommendations for each clinical and diagnostic scenario using the recommendations identified from the scoping review and contextualize them to the Canadian health care systems. The expert panels will accomplish this using an adapted Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework, which reflects the benefits and harms, values and preferences, equity, accessibility, resources and cost.Interpretation: Freely available, up-to-date, comprehensive Canadian-specific diagnostic imaging referral guidelines are needed. A transparent and structured guideline-development approach will aid the CAR and its partners in producing guidelines across its 13 sections.