The European Stroke Organisation Guidelines: a standard operating procedure

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Guidelines
• Public Health

Background:

• The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) has a history of publishing influential stroke management guidelines since 2008.
• Previous guidelines covered ischemic stroke, intracranial aneurysms, subarachnoid hemorrhage, stroke unit establishment, and intracerebral hemorrhage.
• Evolving methodologies in guideline development necessitate an update to ESO's procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for the development of European Stroke Organisation Guideline Documents.
• To enhance the timeliness and responsiveness of ESO guidelines in light of rapid advancements in stroke care.
• To ensure the continued promotion of stroke management, education, and research.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology.
• Transition from single, comprehensive guideline documents to focused, modular guideline updates.
• Extensive discussion and input from the ESO Guidelines Committee, members, methodologists, and analysts.

Main Results:

• A new standard operating procedure for guideline development has been established.
• The new procedure incorporates the GRADE methodology for evidence assessment and recommendation formulation.
• The shift to focused modules allows for more agile updates to specific areas of stroke management.

Conclusions:

• The updated SOP will enable the ESO to produce more timely and relevant guidelines.
• The adoption of GRADE and modular updates will improve the quality and efficiency of guideline dissemination.
• This strategic change positions the ESO to better address emerging developments in stroke care and research.