1. 5th Edition of Stroke Guidelines
Rosemary Cunningham
Sue Pownall

2. Context
Intercollegiate Working Party (IWP) made up of many organisations across health, social care and voluntary sector.
Professional representatives are not paid
Covers SSNAP, Stroke Guidelines, Peer review, response to national agenda.
Limited ‘air time’ in meetings
Level of research accepted is based on top level rated methodologies
If individual papers in a review the review is used.
Pragmatic approach taken so that where no research or v limited research exists but clinical practice indicates best practice then Consensus decision taken.
Reviewers – academics and clinicians

3. Context for Stroke Guidelines
18 months to 2 year process
Review groups set up through RCSLT to support the guideline process
Conflicts of interest disclosed
RCTs, Cochrane reviews, Systematic Reviews, Consensus
IWP has oversight of whole document
Working Party has final consensus decision

4. Process for 5th edition Editorial board set up to overview the process
RCP searched for papers
Review groups read and liaised re outcomes
Teleconferences held with one of the editors
Recommendations agreed
Cross referencing checked
Consultation process
Final Working party consensus
3 Editors
Recommendations for aphasia had least debate owing to timings

5. Recommendations Subject to interpretation
IWP not keen to identify specific professional groups
Standard of research evidence plays strong part in emphasis taken
Need to use whole document as some elements of SLT will be included in other areas
Need to know what elements to use to support services