Nominating Clinical Practice Guideline Topics

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has specific processes for nominating and selecting guideline topics. AAOS has adopted these processes to ensure that topics are chosen fairly and that the Academy focuses its resources on the topics most critical to AAOS members.

To nominate a guideline topic, please see the section below defining who can nominate a topic and answer the questions on the Guideline Nomination Form if you represent one of the qualifying entities. Submit your answers to Jan Wies at wies@aaos.org (she can be reached for questions at (847) 384-4311). Your answers will be reviewed by AAOS staff to ensure they are complete. If they are not, staff may contact you. AAOS staff will also use the information you provide to conduct preliminary literature searches on your proposed topic. The purpose of these searches is to obtain preliminary information about the number and quality of studies that address the topic you nominated. This information, together with your answers to the questions in the appendix, will be transmitted to AAOS’s Guidelines Oversight Committee. This Committee selects the clinical practice guidelines topics that AAOS will work on. AAOS staff will notify you of the decision made by the Guidelines Oversight Committee on your topic nomination within one week of its decision.

AAOS understands that some specialty societies may wish to develop their own guidelines, but would also like to have AAOS staff assistance (e.g., assistance with preparing evidence tables) in doing so. AAOS welcomes requests for such assistance. However, because this involves commitment of AAOS resources, specialty societies requesting AAOS staff assistance must submit their completed topic nomination form to AAOS. Decisions on whether to have AAOS staff assist specialty societies will be made by the AAOS Guidelines Oversight Committee.

Specialty societies that wish to collaborate with AAOS, or that wish to use AAOS resources in preparing guidelines must use the AAOS methodology and processes for guideline development. For further information about these processes and this methodology, please contact Charles Turkelson, Ph.D., Director, Department of Research and Scientific Affairs, by telephone at (847) 384-4326 or by e-mail at turkelson@aaos.org.

Who Can Nominate A Topic?

Topics can only be nominated by the following entities:

1. All AAOS Members
2. The AAOS Board of Councilors
3. AAOS Committees
4. AAOS Councils
5. Orthopaedic Specialty Societies and/or the Board of Orthopaedic Specialty Societies (BOS)
6. AAOS Advisory Boards
7. AAOS Communications Cabinet

AAOS cannot accept topic nominations from individuals, industry, or any other entity not listed above.

Nominations from orthopedic specialty societies should be submitted to AAOS by the chair of a Committee, Council or similar entity of that society. Nominations can also be submitted by a designated member of the Boards of Directors of specialty societies.

• Open/Download Guideline Nomination Form

How Does AAOS Select Topics?

The AAOS Guidelines Oversight Committee will use your answers to the questions on the Guideline Nomination Form to assist in determining whether AAOS will develop a guideline on your topic, or whether AAOS staff will be allocated to work on this project. The Guidelines Oversight Committee considers the following questions when making its decisions:

1. Does the health problem in question carry a high individual or population burden of morbidity, mortality, or disability?
2. Does the health problem and/or its diagnosis and/or treatment carry a high unit or aggregate cost?
3. Are there substantial variations in the diagnosis and/or treatment of the health problem?
4. Are there existing guidelines on this topic? If so, will a newly developed guideline have a meaningful impact on clinical decision-making/clinical outcomes and/or reduce practice variation, and/or be of significant benefit to AAOS members?
5. Are there sufficient research findings available upon which to base a clinical practice guideline?
6. Is there substantial public or political demand for this practice guideline?
7. Is performing this guideline feasible with current AAOS resources?

The Guidelines Oversight Committee meets twice a year. When you submit your nomination, AAOS staff will notify you of the date of the next Committee meeting so you will know when to expect a decision.