The AUB GRADE center builds capacity in developing and adapting clinical practice guidelines in Tunisia

The AUB GRADE center has been selected by the “Instance Nationale de l’Evaluation et de l’Accrediation en Santé” (INEAS) to build capacity in adapting clinical practice guidelines for Tunisia. The objectives of this project are the (1) elaboration of a handbook on the adaption of clinical practice guidelines in Tunisia, (2) training of the INEAS team in adapting guidelines using the GRADE methodology, and (3) adapting a real guideline for the Tunisian context. This project is being executed via short-term expert missions and is supported by the “Programme d’Appui a la Competitivité des Services” (PACS) Santé technical assistance and is funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Dr. Elie Akl, the director of the AUB GRADE center, trained INEAS staff on how to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The workshop took place in INEAS center, Tunis on the 14^th and 15^th of May 2018.

Ms. Lara Kahale, the coordinator of the AUB GRADE center, delivered a three-day workshop on the “Adaptation of Practice Guidelines using the GRADE methodology”. The workshop took place in INEAS center, Tunis on the 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th of July 2018. Ms. Kahale was on a second mission from the 3^rd till the 5^th of September 2018 to help and guide INEAS staff in preparing for the guideline panel meeting on the adaptation of the European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines which is expected to be held in December 2018. Also, together with INEAS staff, she is drafting the handbook on the adaption of clinical practice guidelines for Tunisia.

The AUB GRADE center delivers a workshop on the development and adaptation of clinical practice guideline in Lebanon (February 2018)

The AUB GRADE center conducted a two-day workshop entitled “Development and Adaptation of Practice Guidelines” on February 27 and 28 2018 at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Dr. Elie Akl, the director of the AUB GRADE center, and Ms. Lara Kahale, the coordinator of the center, facilitated the workshop. Twenty-nine administrators, nurses, physicians, and researchers from multidisciplinary backgrounds participated in the workshop. They included representatives from various universities, medical centers, non-governmental organizations and the ministry of public health in Lebanon. Participants were introduced to guideline development using the GRADE methodology and guideline adaptation using the ‘adolopment’ methodology. They also received training in using the online guideline development tool (GRADEPro).

The AUB GRADE center coordinates the Adaptation of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidelines for the Brazilian Ministry of Health

The AUB GRADE center recently coordinated the Adaptation of Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidelines in Brazil. The objective of this project was to adapt the 2015 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) guidelines for the Brazilian context. The project was a collaborative effort between Hospital Moinhos de Vento and the Brazilian Ministry of Health. It used the ‘adolopment’ methodology and was based on the model of adaptation of the same guidelines followed for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Ms. Lara Kahale, the coordinator of the AUB GRADE center, participated in the two guideline panel meetings that took place in Porto Alegre Brazil on the 14^th and 15^th of November 2017 and 17^th and 18^th of May 2018.

The AUB GRADE center conducts a workshop on the development and adaptation of clinical practice guideline in Brazil

The AUB GRADE center was invited to deliver a workshop in Brazil on the development and adaptation of clinical practice guideline. The workshop was held on the 16^th and 17^th of November in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It was part of the conference Evidence in Health 2017 - The value of information: from science to decision-making organized by Hospital Moinhos de Vento and the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Twenty researchers from multidisciplinary backgrounds participated in the workshop. They included representatives from various universities, medical centers, non-governmental organizations and the ministry of health in Brazil. Participants were introduced to the development of practice guidelines using the GRADE methodology. Practical exercises were applied using the online guideline development tool (GRADEPro).

The World Health Organization Guidance on Clinical Management of Crimean- Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

Dr. Elie Akl, the director of the AUB GRADE center, co-chaired the panel meeting for the development of the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on clinical management of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).

CCHF is one of the most widespread tick-borne diseases in humans and endemic in areas including the middle east and has a case-fatality rate between 10% and 40%. WHO has included CCHF in its list of priority pathogens for which urgent research and developmental action is required.

The panel meeting was co-hosted by the Robert Koch Institute in Germany and the WHO Experts Network Unit (formerly the Epidemic clinical Management Unit) and was held on April 4-5 in Berlin, Germany.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) guidelines on management of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer

Ms. Lara Kahale, the coordinator of the Clinical Epidemiological Unit at the Clinical Research Institute, contributed to the second panel meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH guidelines) that developed recommendations for the management of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer. Ms. Kahale and the AUB team coordinated the work related to evidence synthesis and evidence presentation for that guideline. The meeting took place in the ASH headquarters in Washington D.C. on March 1 and 2, 2017 and included meetings for expert panels of an additional two of the ten guidelines being developed as part of this project.

Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for chronic non cancer pain

Dr. Elie Akl, the director of the AUB GRADE center, participated as a panelist in the
Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for chronic non cancer pain guideline panel meeting. The guidelines project is funded by Health Canada and took place in Hamilton, Ontario on the 5th and 6th of January 2017.