The VTE Guideline Development Process

Through a partnership with McMaster University GRADE Centre, ASH brought together more than 100 experts including hematologists, other clinicians, guideline development specialists, and patient representatives to develop comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for VTE. Every panel includes U.S. and international experts from multiple disciplines, such as hematology, internal medicine, pharmacy, surgical specialties, oncology, and OB-GYN, as well as experts in evidence synthesis and guideline development. Each panel also has at least one patient representative, who participates equally with the medical experts throughout the entire development process.

Development of these guidelines is wholly funded by ASH, a non-profit medical specialty society that represents hematologists. Before and during appointment to the panel, individuals disclose both financial and nonfinancial interests. Conflicts of interest are managed through panel composition, disclosure, and recusal.

Once formed, each panel conducted a brainstorming exercise to develop a list of clinical questions and outcomes of interest. Outcomes of interest rated highly by the panel and those identified as important based on the literature reviews are further refined.

Researchers then conducted systematic reviews of intervention effects and searched for evidence related to baseline risks, values, preferences and costs. Panels then develop recommendations after summarizing findings within the GRADE Evidence-to-Decision (EtD) framework.

Once the panels consider the guidelines complete, they are reviewed by the ASH Executive Committee, which then provides approval for the guidelines to be submitted for peer review and subsequent publication.

• ASH Clinical Practice Guidelines on Venous Thromboembolism

  In 2014, in response to long-standing member interest, ASH initiated an effort to develop evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for hematology that meet the highest standards of development, rigor and trustworthiness. Through partnership with the McMaster University GRADE Center, 10 clinical practice guidelines covering the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of venous thromboembolism will be developed, published, and available to view here on the ASH site.