Guidelines

Submit a Guideline Topic Proposal

Members of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Creative Community interested in submitting a guideline topic proposal form or who may be interested in serving on a guideline panel are strongly encouraged to review the Standard Operating Procedures Manual. The manual delineates important aspects of processes in accordance with standards set by the SCCM Council with implementation via the American College of Critical Care Medicine’s Board of Regents. The following core principles apply to guidelines development:

• Recommendations are based on systematic review of the best quality of evidence available from peer-reviewed journals.
• Panels will include knowledgeable, diversified, multiprofessional leaders.
• Transparent conflict-of-interest management will be incorporated into the guideline cycle.
• Guideline development will include the involvement of broadly defined stakeholders (including patients, when possible and if applicable).
• Industry funding will not be used for guideline development.
• Updates are considered when new impactful science becomes available.
• Potential involvement of other organizations as approved is possible at various levels of engagement.

Guidelines Topic Submission and Selection Criteria 
New guideline topics and revisions to current guidelines are prioritized according to those that are most relevant to the Society’s mission and to patients and their families, along with budgetary considerations within strategic planning cycles. The selection process engages the following criteria to rank the highest-priority topics and guideline revisions:

Topic Selection Criteria (New)

• Areas of clinical uncertainty as evidenced by wide variation in practice or outcomes.
• Conditions for which effective treatment is proven and where mortality or morbidity could potentially be reduced.
• Documented relevant and sufficient evidence that can be included in systematic evidence review.
• Clinical priority areas as determined via SCCM strategic planning affirmed by Council.
• Documented need for the guidelines, as indicated by a larger network of relevant stakeholders.

Topic Selection Criteria (Revision)

• Availability of new research that may change the existing practice recommendations
• Data on guidelines access demonstrating its importance to the critical care community
• Continued interest in a topic as indicated by SCCM needs assessments

Topic Proposal Form for Revisions and New Guidelines 
Submit the required proposal form in its entirety no later than June 30, annually. Email notification of review outcomes will be sent to the indicated contact by November 30th. Note that guidelines are subject to a strategic planning process with review by the SCCM Council. This process begins in the spring and concludes in the fall annually.