Much audit and guidelines development is currently initiated by specialist medical societies. The Clinical Standards Department of the Royal College of Physicians co-ordinates a Clinical Effectiveness Forum where the specialist medical societies share experience on clinical effectiveness activities with a view to maximizing their effect.
The Forum is chaired by Dr Jonathan Potter, Clinical Director of the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit.
The Forum includes:
Business meeting
Business meetings are held twice a year and are open to Clinical Effectiveness Forum members only. The purposes of these meetings are to explore developments and issues relating to clinical effectiveness.
Regular Seminars
Seminars are held twice a year and are facilitated by the Clinical Standards Department. Seminars are open to Clinical Effectiveness Forum members, Joint Specialty Committee chairs, Presidents of Specialist Societies or nominated representives. Examples of recent seminars include:
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Guidelines, audit and patient invovement
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Clinical information collection – informing better practice
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The use of data for secondary purposes: how powerful is it?
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Peer Review
- Re-energising local audit
- The National Quality Agenda and its implications for Specialist Societies
The next seminar will be held on the 1 April 2010:
Grading Systems Project:
Working in collaboration with NHS Plus, a sub-group of the Clinical Effectiveness Forum is undertaking a project aimed at developing a framework of optimum grading systems for critically appraising papers for evidence-based guidelines developed by specialist societies.
Phase 1: Literature review
A review has been undertaken of the strengths and weaknesses of the current major grading systems in the context of their use by specialist societies.
Phase 2: Assessment of Grading Systems
Phase 2 is currently underway. The aims of this phase of the study are:
For further information please contact:
Clinical Standards Advisor 020 3075 1500
clinical.standards@rcplondon.ac.uk