Developing Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs)

Step 2: Provide Training on the CPG Process

When a new CPG was developed or updated for an AIHA program and there was a final product that might be introduced to the region, AIHA generally conducted a “Training–of-Trainers” course for teams that would be using the new guideline.

This training allowed participants return to their own centers fully capable of training staff in the new protocols and techniques.

Step 3: Develop CPGs

In the AIHA Primary Healthcare Centers, each center was allowed to choose the CPGs that they wanted to develop and that were most relevant to them.

This step in the process is the actual development of your own CPGs. A thorough review of the 70-page CPG manual will give you the tools you need to develop your own guidelines. Click here to access the manual.

Step 4: Select a Change Agent

In this step, AIHA asked its partnership coordinator to serve as a “change agent,” delivering the CPG information to Primary Healthcare Center staff. Each coordinator was allowed to use his or her own method to accomplish this. For example, at one center, staff would meet once a week to discuss agenda items such as professional development, the new guidelines, new drugs, and so on.

Your change agent should not only have a thorough understanding of the CPGs, so they can deliver the new protocols to staff and train them accordingly, but also be enthusiastic about the new changes. This enthusiasm will help generate excitement among staff members.

Step 5: Develop Indicators

AIHA partners developed indicators for each guideline with the ultimate goal of improving patient care.

Click here to access specific information on how to collect baseline data and develop your own indicators.

Step 6: Measure and Evaluate

The final step involves monitoring and evaluating to determine the effectiveness of the CPGs. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. For a comprehensive discussion on monitoring and evaluation processes, click here to go to the Measuring and Improving Results section of this toolkit.

Click here to continue reading about Developing CPGs.