title: Methodology manual for European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) clinical guidelines.
abstract: The goal of all clinical guidelines is to assist patients and practitioners in making healthcare decisions. However, clinical guidelines have been questioned about their quality, transparency and independence. Based on the revision of manuals by other scientific cardiothoracic organizations, this document provides instructions for the development of European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) clinical guidelines and other types of evidence-based documents. Four key areas have been addressed: (i) selection of taskforce members and transparency of relations with the industry, (ii) methods for critical appraisal of medical evidence, (iii) rules for writing recommendations and (iv) review process. It is hoped that, by adopting this methodology, clinical guidelines produced by the EACTS will be well balanced, objective and, importantly, trusted by physicians and patients who benefit from their implementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Hospital Cruz Vermelha, Lisbon, Portugal migueluva@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sousa-Uva
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stuart J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Head
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, West-German Heart Center Essen, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thielmann
authors.affiliation: Unit of Thoracic Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Carlo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic, Oxford Heart Centre, Oxford University Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Benedetto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Centre Freiburg-Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Czerny
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dunning
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castella
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gudbjartsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hazekamp
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Liège (CHU, Ulg), CHU Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kolh
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart Centre Freiburg University, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedhelm
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beyersdorf
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: A Pieter
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kappetein
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000592:standards; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Clinical practice guidelines; Evidence-based medicine; Expert consensus statements; Methodology