Stylistic variations in National Institutes of Health consensus statements, 1979-1983

This paper describes a content analysis of the statements of 24 Consensus Development Conferences conducted by the Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) of the National Institutes of Health in the years 1979-1983. The goal was to understand the potential influence of the consensus statements by identifying characteristics that might determine whether and how physicians become aware of their findings and adopt their recommendations. Three characteristics emerged, each suggestive of a different style of consensus statement: discursiveness, didacticism, and scholarliness. Variations in style among consensus statements may affect their acceptance by the medical profession.