Guideline Approval

The approval process for any given guideline will begin when peer review and public commentary are completed. There will be four AAOS bodies will be involved in the approval process:

1. The Evidence-Based Practice Committee
2. The Guidelines Oversight Committee
3. The Council on Research, Quality Assessment, and Technology
4. The Board of Directors

Each person serving on one these bodies will receive the guideline, evidence report, peer review documentation letters, and any public commentator “thank you” letter that documents a guideline change that resulted from a commentator’s review.

Approval will proceed in the order shown in the above bullet points, and a guideline will not proceed from one body until the previous one has approved it.

Should any of these bodies not approve a guideline, that guideline’s Work Group will be reconvened with the possible addition of one or two new member additions. The Guidelines Oversight Committee will be responsible for appointing these members.