NHMRC Glaucoma Guidelines - ANZGIG

NHMRC GUIDELINES FOR THE SCREENING, PROGNOSIS, DIAGNOSIS, MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION OF GLAUCOMA
Chapter 3 – Implementation strategies
Continuing medical education
There are a number of different mechanisms for incorporating guidelines into continuing medical
education. Consideration may be given to online learning, quick quiz formats and workshops or a
more traditional face-to-face approach. Health care providers should receive professional practice
credits for engaging in formal learning about these guidelines.
Education sessions could be provided widely across Australia using a ‘road show’ approach to
disseminate the key guideline recommendations to health care providers as appropriate. The sessions
should be formal, professionally presented, and endorsed by the relevant peak industry bodies and
professional associations. These sessions should be conducted by respected peer leaders and clinical
champions, and provided in a multidisciplinary forum so that guideline-uptake discussions can
enhance multi-disciplinary team decision-making and treatment.
Discussions during the education sessions should provide opportunities to consider controversial
recommendations relevant to clinical practice.
Incentives to adopt more radical guideline recommendations should be considered, particularly
where these run contrary to common practice and/or indicate that guideline uptake will result in
significant cost savings and significant health improvements for individuals with glaucoma.
Multimedia and interactive learning
Formal health care provider meetings and education sessions should incorporate interactive
educational activities where possible. These should include 1:1, small groups, or multi-disciplinary
team presentations using multimedia, or discussion boards/chat rooms on the internet to sustain
interest after the presentation.
Didactic lectures on guideline recommendations should be avoided.
Educational outreach
Academic detailing is a strategy that assists health care providers to improve the quality and safety
of their care by fitting guideline recommendations to their practice. Academic detailing is usually
assisted by dedicated educators who may also be respected health care providers. Reminders and
decision support systems may be useful strategies to assist in guideline implementation.
Web site
A Frequently Asked Questions section will be hosted on the NHMRC website, and/or relevant
professional association websites to support ongoing interest in guideline uptake. The answers
should be provided by respected peer leaders. Moderated discussion boards could also be used
to stimulate debate.
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