Standards of care (WP5)
Work package Leader: Medizinische Universität Wien, Austria
Duration: M1 - M15 (15 months)
Deliverables
D 12 Standards of care for the major musculoskeletal conditions of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis based on evidence and best practice and a full report and a patient version of the Standards of Care will be prepared by the lead partner (specific to this WP). Full report of the SOC will be published and distributed to relevant stakeholders and policy makers at EU, national and regional level. The Standards of Care identified will also be widely disseminated through the project website and all the partners communications channels (website, newsletter, meeting, brochures). Target users: health practitioners, NGOs and policy makers. A patient version will be widely disseminated through partner communication channels and through the public area of the website.
Tasks and methods
1. Form a Working Group
The Working Group will be formed by 7 people drawn from the Associated Partners based on expertise relevant to WP5. The other APs, CPs and other members of the Surveillance Network will act as advisors to the WP.
2. Identification and quality assessment of existing guidelines for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
The researcher will identify guidelines for the management of OA and RA by systematic review of the literature; by hand searching; and by contact with organisations in the Member States who have been involved in the development of guidelines. Guidelines will include national guidelines, EULAR guidelines and the European Bone and Joint Health Strategies Project (SI2.304 598). This will be with the support of all Associated and Collaborating Partners and other relevant experts.
Guidelines will be appraised by the researcher with the support of the Working Group by the AGREE Criteria. The recommendations of guidelines that meet the appraisal criteria will be collated. Commonality of recommendations will be looked for.
3. Developing standards of care for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Working Group will develop patient-based standards of care for prevention, case finding, access to care, early treatment and management of established disease. This will be by reviewing the collated recommendations, looking for commonality and drawing on expert opinion from the Working Group. There will also be wide consultation including the use of the DELPHI process through the APs and CPs, EULAR member organisations, and other relevant organisations and experts to agree upon and prioritise the standards. There will be two meetings of the Working Group organised by the WP Lead.
A full report on Standards of Care will be prepared by the WP Lead with contribution by the Working Group.
4. Setting targets for auditing achievement of Standards of Care
The WP Lead with support of the Working Group will develop SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) patient-centred targets that can be used to measure the attainment of these standards at the level of the individual. This will be done by survey of current practice, consensus of experts and users across the MS using DELPHI process and through consultation at EULAR Congresses (14,000 participants), and with other experts and networks.
5. Dissemination
The report of the SOC will be made available on the web site in English and a limited number of copies will be printed in English for relevant stakeholders and policy makers. A patient version of the SOC will be prepared, translated and printed in each EU official language to be available for a wide distribution.
Responsibilities of Work Package Leader
Vienna, Austria is responsible for the delivery of all the tasks in this Work Package and of the deliverables linked to this Work Package, according to the agreed schedule and within the agreed budget. In detail:
1. WP Lead and the Steering Committee and will form a Working Group from the Associated Partners.
2. WP Lead will appoint and supervise a researcher who will, with the support of the Working Group, identify and quality assess existing guidelines for OA and RA, including national guidelines, EULAR guidelines and European Bone and Joint Health Strategies Project (SI2.304 598), using AGREE criteria.
3. WP Lead will work with the Working Group to develop patient-based standards of care from the available evidence with recommendations for prevention, case finding, access to care, early treatment and management of established disease. This will be by wide consultation through EULAR.
4. WP Lead will organise two meetings of the Working Group.
5. WP Lead with support of the Working Group will develop SMART patient-focused targets that can be used to measure the attainment of these standards at the level of the individual.
6. WP Lead will prepare, with contribution by the Working Group, a full report on SOC that will be made available on the web site in English and a limited number of copies will be printed in English for relevant stakeholders and policy makers.
7. WP Lead will prepare, with contribution by the Working Group, a patient version of the SOC which will be translated and printed in each EU official language to be available for a wide distribution.
