Concept

Definition

XML Element Tag

 Controlled Vocabulary

<guideline.document>

Identity

<identity>

Title

Complete title of the guideline

<guideline.title>

Citation

bibliographic citation

<citation>

Guideline Length

number of pages in printed document

<guideline.length>

Release date

date the guideline was released to public

<release.date>

Availability

<availability>

Electronic

information regarding sources of guideline in electronic format

<electronic>

Print

information regarding sources of guideline in print format

<print>

Contact

person or organization to contact for additional information

<contact>

Status

identifies whether the guideline is a revised or updated version of a previously issued document

<status>

Companion document

refers to other documents (including Technical Reports, Consumer Guidelines, Quick Reference Guidelines produced by the guideline developer relevant to the guideline

<companion.document>

Patient Resources

patient resources that are directly related, I.e., derived and/or prepared from the guideline

<patient.resource>

Adaptation

identifies that the guideline has been adapted from another guideline

<adaptation>

Developer

<developer>

Developer Name

organization(s) responsible for developing the guideline

<developer.name>

Developer Type

organization type attribute-major designation or function (NGC)

<developer.type>

NGC Organization Type

Committee Name

formal name of committee withing developer organization responsible for developing guideline

<committee.name>

Committee expertise

group composition - composition of the group that authored guideline

<committee.expertise>

Committee Member

Name of committee member

<committee.member>

Member Expertise

Background or expertise of an individual guideline committee member

<member.expertise>

Funding

source(s) of financial support for guideline development, including grant numbers

<funding>

Endorser

organization that has endorsed the guideline

<endorser>

Comparable Guideline

another guideline on same topic, generally indicated by developing organization

<comparable.guideline>

Purpose

<purpose>

Main health practices, services or technologies considered

Primary disease/Condition, health practice, service, or technology addressed in the guideline

<main.focus>

NGC Disease-Condition

Category

Classification of major focus of the guideline (NGC)

<category>

NGC Guideline Category 

Rationale

reasons for developing recommendations

<rationale>

Objective

objectives - describes the objectives of the guideline

<objective>

Available options

main management options considered; principal alternative preventive, diagnostic, or therapeutic strategies available

<available.option>

Implementation strategy

specific strategies, aims, performance measures, or plans for implementing the recommendations

<implementation.strategy>

Health Outcomes

describes the most important specific outcomes or performance measures considered in the guideline; includes pt outcomes and diagnostic test performance characteristics

<health.outcome>

Exceptions

situations in which socially relevant factors permit an exception to be made in applying the guidelines; include home and family situation, constraints on health care delivery system (IOM)

<exception>

Intended audience

<intended.audience>

Care setting

describes the settings in which guideline is intended for use

<care.setting>

Users

classifies the groups intended to use the guideline

<user>

NGC Intended Users

Clinical Specialty

classifies the clinical specialties that might use the guideline professionally (NGC)

<clinical.specialty>

NGC Clinical Specialty 

Target population 

<target.population>

Eligibility

describes target population; identifies restrictions on guideline use such as within an MCO or geographic region.
Criterion that specifically defines the target population for the recommendations

<eligibility>

Inclusion criterion

A criterion whose presence is necessary for the guideline recommendations to be applicable

<inclusion_criterion>

Exclusion Criterion

A criterion whose presence excludes the applicability of the recommendations

<exclusion.criterion>

Age

For the purposes of searching, NGC classifies the target population by age and sex

<age>

NGC Target Population 

Sex

<sex>

Method of development

<development.method>

Description of evidence collection

methods used to collect (identify and retrieve) scientific evidence on which recommendations are based (IOM)

<description.evidence.collection>

Method of collecting evidence

classifies methods used to collect evidence (NGC)

<method.evidence.collection>

NGC Methods Used to Collect the Evidence

Number of source documents

Number of source documents identified by methods described above

<number.source.documents>

Evidence time period

publication dates of the most recent evidence considered

<evidence.time.period>

Method evidence grading

criteria used to gauge the quality of information collected from different sources

<method.evidence.grading>

NGC Methods Used to Assess the Quality and Strength of the Evidence

Rating Scheme

Presents rating scheme for strength of evidence

<rating.scheme>

Description of Method for combining evidence/opinion

formal method of synthesis used to combine the scientific evidence quantitatively or otherwise; formal expert or group judgment techniques used to reach professional consensus

<description.evidence.combination>

Method combining evidence/opinion

Classifies methods used by developer to evaluate data in the evidence (NGC)

<method.evidence.combination>

NGC Methods Used to Analyze the Evidence

Cost Analysis

Describes any formal cost analysis performed

<cost.analysis>

Specification of benefit/harm

Description of general benefits and risks associated with implementation of guideline

<specification.harm.benefit>

Quantification of benefit/harm

Quantification of general benefits or risks associated with implementation of guideline

<quantification.harm.benefit>

Role of value judgment

implicit or explicit process for judging relative desirability of health, economic, and process outcomes associated with alternative practices

<role.value.judgment>

Role of patient preference

the role of patient preferences for different possible outcomes of care when the appropriateness of a clinical intervention involves a substantial element of personal choice or values (IOM)

<role.patient.preference>

Qualifying statement

Important caveat relating to major recommendation. Identifies area of uncertainty

<qualifying.statement>

Knowledge Components

<knowledge.components>

Recommendation

A statement of appropriate practice specified in the guideline

<recommendation>

Conditional

If then statement

<conditional>

Decision variable

A condition that must be tested to indicate the appropriateness of an action

<decision.variable>

Value

A specified state of a decision variable

<value>

Decision Variable Description

Text that provides and amplifies information about a decision variable

<decision.variable.description>

Test parameter

Information about the quality of a decision variable

<test.parameter>

Sensitivity

An indication of the probability of the decision variable being present under specific clinical circumstances

<sensitivity>

Specificity

An indication of the probability of the decision variable being absent under specific clinical circumstances

<specificity>

Predictive value

An indication of the probability of an outcome occurring when a particular value of the decision variable is present

<predictive.value>

Decision variable cost

The cost of testing a decision variable

<decision.variable.cost>

Action

Appropriate activities given specific clinical circumstances defined by values of decision variables

<action>

Action Benefit

An improvement in status of some measured outcome that may occur as a result of following a recommendation

<action.benefit>

Risk/harm

Risk or adverse outcome associated with implementation of a recommendation

<action.risk.harm>

Action description

Text that provides and amplifies information about an action

<action.description>

Action cost

Cost of performing a specific action

<action.cost>

Reason

An explanation or justification for a recommendation

<reason>

Evidence quality

An indication of methodologic rigor of the studies that support a recommendation

<evidence.quality>

Strength of recommendation

An indication of the guideline developers' level of support for a given recommendation

<recommendation.strength>

Flexibility

Indications of optional actions

<flexibility>

Logic

Boolean operators that indicate how decision variables and actions are to be combined

<logic>

Cost

Overall cost of performing a specific conditional recommendation

<cost>

Link

Indicator of a relationship between this conditional and other knowledge component(s)

<link>

Reference

Specific citation relevant to this conditional recommendation

<reference>

Certainty

Indication of the likelihood that this recommendation will lead to specified outcomes

<certainty>

Imperative

Recommendation directed at the entire eligible population without limitation

<imperative>

Directive

An appropriate activity for the eligible population

<directive>

Directive Benefit

An improvement in status that may occur as a result of following a directive

<directive.benefit>

Risk/harm

Risk or adverse outcome associated with implementation of a directive

<directive.risk.harm>

Description

Text that provides and amplifies information about a directive

<directive.description>

Directive_Cost

Cost of performing a specific directive

<directive.cost>

Reason

An explanation or justification for a recommendation

<reason>

Evidence quality

An indication of methodologic rigor of the studies that support a recommendation

<evidence.quality>

Strength of recommendation

An indication of the guideline developers' level of support for a given recommendation

<recommendation.strength>

Flexibility

Indication of options in performing imperative

<flexibility>

Logic

Boolean operators that indicate how directives are to be combined

<logic>

Cost

Overall cost of performing a n imperative recommendation

<cost>

Link

Indicator of a relationship between this imperative and other knowledge component(s)

<link>

Reference

Specific citation relevant to this imperative recommendation

<reference>

Certainty

Indication of the likelihood that this recommendation will lead to specified outcomes

<certainty>

Definition

<definition>

Term

A word or phrase defined in the guideline

<term>

Term meaning

The precise definition of the term for guideline purposes

<term.meaning>

Algorithm

A sequential representation (often graphic) of stages in health management described by a guideline

<algorithm>

Action Step

Specifies clinical actions that are to be performed in the patient-care process (GLIF)

<action.step>

Conditional Step

Directs flow from one guideline step to another based on the evaluation of a criterion (GLIF)

<conditional.step>

Branch Step

Directs flow in alternate directions (GLIF)

<branch.step>

Synchronization Step

Represents a convergence of other steps (GLIF)

<synchronization.step>

Testing

<testing>

External review

evaluator and/or methods used to review or validate the recommendations of the guideline

<external.review>

Review Method

Summarizes methods used to review or validate the guideline (NGC)

<review.method>

NGC Method of Review of Guideline Recommendations

Pilot testing

Validation status testing , pilot, production

<pilot.testing>

Revision Plan

<revision.plan>

Expiration

Time (or date) that recommendations cease to be valid

<expiration>

Scheduled review

Future time (or date) planned to review continued appropriateness of recommendations

<scheduled.review>