title: Methodology to update the practice recommendations in the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, second edition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ensure that revisions to the second edition of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) guidelines are as valid and useful as possible.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ACOEM Guideline Methodology Committee searched and synthesized the evidence-based medicine literature on systematic review and guideline development. The resulting process and tools were tested during guideline revision, and changes were made to the tools and process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methodology specifies problem formulation, literature search methods, screening of studies, quality rating, summarization of the body of literature, recommendation drafting and rating, "first principles" of medical logic and ethics, training, expert panel review, stakeholder input, external review, pilot testing and Board of Directors approval.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The process and tools developed are consistent with international guideline assessment criteria, robust, and internally and externally valid.
authors.affiliation: The Permanente Medical Group, San Rafael, CA, USA. JHarrisMVL@aol.com
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Sinnott
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ording
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turkelson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Kurt T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Hegmann
mesh_terms: D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D010380:Peer Review; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States