Defining expert opinion in clinical guidelines: insights from 98 scientific societies - a methodological study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The use of Expert Opinion (EO) in clinical guidelines is highly variable and lacks standardization, leading to ongoing controversy. A clear and universally accepted definition of EO is also lacking. To date, no research has systematically assessed how guideline-developing societies conceptualize and apply EO. This study aims to map methodological manuals, evaluate their rationale for EO use, examine its foundations, and synthesize a comprehensive definition.

Methods

Systematic searches for clinical guidelines were conducted in PubMed to identify guideline-developing societies, supplemented by additional searches. Systematic searches were then conducted to identify methodological manuals from these societies. Screening was performed independently by two reviewers,

SUBMITTER: Nagavci B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11963610 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature