This scoping review looks at advances in clinical practice guidance internationally, with a view to improving national guidance here in Ireland. It finds that the current Standards for Clinical Practice Guidance of the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee (NCEC) remain relevant and appropriate. However, the review identifies innovations which could improve these standards, and enhance the development and use of clinical practice guidance by healthcare professionals in Ireland.

The Terms of Reference for the NCEC include publication of the NCEC Standards for Clinical Practice Guidance. It has been eight years since the publication of the original standards. As such, it is timely to review and potentially update these standards to take account of, and incorporate, any recent developments or innovations in methodology.

The HRB-CICER Team reviewed the evidence to support the NCEC in considering amendments to the current Standards for Clinical Practice Guidance.

This scoping review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) criteria.ǂ

^ǂ Available at PRISMA (prisma-statement.org)