History

This process was initiated by the Department of General Medicine and the Centre for Community Child Health and Ambulatory Paediatrics and has been in progress since February 1996. It now involves consultants and fellows from:

• Emergency Department
• Department of General Medicine
• Specialist medical, surgical and support departments

Process

Need for individual guidelines identified from:

• List of common paediatric presentations
• Knowledge of important paediatric conditions
• Conditions flagged by problems with individual cases or
  Adverse Events Review

Guideline development process:

1. Initial draft prepared by one of the group following careful review of existing practice, and available published evidence on topic. International evidence-based practice (eg Cochrane Collaboration) and consensus statements (eg ACP, RACP, AAP etc) considered and included as appropriate. All guidelines adapted to local conditions (ie population, facilities, skills etc)
2. Consultation with another group member and with an appropriate external specialist department where appropriate (eg Thoracic Medicine, General Surgery, ICU).
3. Draft brought to fortnightly Guideline Development Group Meeting
4. Comments / Suggestions incorporated
5. Steps 3 and 4 repeated until guideline agreed & signed off.
6. Review date set
7. Published on RCH Web site

Each guideline is reviewed after 12 or 24 months. Sooner if any problem is identified or a significant change in practice develops.

Link to an NHMRC guide on writing information sheets for families.

RCH CPG developer's site