GIN encourages multilateral collaboration and works in partnership with the following non-profit groups/organisations in order to provide value to our members:
The AGREE Collaboration
The international research teams of the AGREE Enterprise (Appraisal of Guidelines REsearch and Evaluation) have been at the forefront of creating tools aimed to evaluate the quality of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and inform their development reporting. Since 2003, the AGREE Enterprise has contributed to the science and advancement of practice guidelines through its various programs of research and international collaborations.
Some of the most used AGREE tools are:
AGREE II – Assesses the methodological rigour and transparency in which a practice guideline is developed and can be used to guide their development.
AGREE Global Rating Scale (AGREE-GRS)– A short item tool to evaluate the quality and reporting of practice guidelines.
AGREE Recommendation EXcellence (AGREE-REX)– A complement to the AGREE II intended to guide the development, reporting, and evaluation of the clinical credibility and implementability of practice guideline recommendations.
AGREE Health Systems (AGREE-HS) – Assesses the methodological rigour and transparency in which health system guidance documents are developed and can be used to guide their development and reporting.
By visiting The AGREE Collaboration Website you can also find My AGREE PLUS a user-informed online AGREE II appraisal platform launched in 2013 that now has more than 60,000 registered users from around the world.
More information on AGREE, the instrument and translations are available here
Cochrane
Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers, health professionals, and consumers of health care; carers, advocates, and people interested in health. It responds to the challenge of making the vast amounts of evidence generated through research useful for informing decisions about health care. Cochrane is a not-for-profit organisation with collaborators from more than 130 countries working together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest. After 20 years Cochrane is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading organisations in the health sector, with a reputation for producing high quality, credible information to inform health decision-making.
The Cochrane Library contains high quality health care information, including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Find out more at The Cochrane Library
The two organisations have also collaborated on TaskExchange – a platform used to facilitate closer working relationships between systematic reviewers and guideline developers. Users must create a profile, then can use the platform to post tasks or note willingness and ability to undertake tasks. In return for the work, the professional can be paid and/or receive acknowledgement.
Covidence
Covidence is a complete systematic review management system that streamlines the literature review process and provides a centralised, consolidated view of all review activity within an organisation.
They are a non-profit service working in partnership with Cochrane to improve the production and use of systematic reviews for health and well-being around the world.
When you log into Covidence, you’re joining a vibrant and growing global community of librarians, researchers and students who are creating a new way of translating research into trustworthy evidence to drive high-quality evidence-informed decision-making.
GIN members are eligible for a discount of up to 20% when signing up to join Covidence, email hello@covidence.org for more information.
COVID-END
COVID-END partners are drawn from diverse evidence-synthesis, technology assessment and guideline-development communities and have long track records of supporting decision-makers locally, nationally and internationally. Their activities span the full gamut of COVID-19 issues, including traditional infection prevention and control but also how to manage impacts on mental health and family violence, health- and social-care systems, education, employment, financial protection, food safety and security, government services, housing, public safety and justice, recreation and transportation. Their activities also span the full array of contexts where the COVID-19 pandemic is playing out, including low-, middle- and high-income countries.
The GRADE Working Group
The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (short GRADE) working group began in the year 2000 as an informal collaboration of people with an interest in addressing the shortcomings of grading systems in health care. The working group has developed a common, sensible and transparent approach to grading quality (or certainty) of evidence and strength of recommendations. Many international organisations have provided input into the development of the GRADE approach which is now considered the standard in guideline development.
The International Network of Agencies for Health Technologies Assessment (INAHTA)
The International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) is a non-profit organisation that has deep roots in the international HTA community stretching back to 1993 when the Network was founded. Today INAHTA has grown to 54 member agencies from 33 countries across North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. All members are non-profit making organisations producing HTA and are linked to regional or national government.
INAHTA’s mission is to provide a forum for the identification and pursuit of interests that are important to our member agencies which will progress the realisation of INAHTA’s vision.
The Network aims to:
- Bring agency leadership and expertise to bear on the science and practice of HTA in the international health community.
- Demonstrate the value of HTA agencies as key components of modern health systems to support robust, evidence-based decision making.
- Support best practice and innovation for building and maintaining thriving HTA agencies.
- Build communities of practice to enable continuous exchange of knowledge and learning among our members.
INAHTA’s vision is a network of strong, independent HTA agencies, where each agency is an essential contributor to health system decision making to achieve better health and better health systems for the people they serve.
INAHTA is led by an international Board of Directors, who are responsible for guiding the direction and activities of the Network and Secretariat to achieve strategic objectives. The membership meets yearly at the INAHTA Congress and members participate in various committees, groups and communities of practice throughout the year. The Annual Meeting is held in conjunction with the HTAi Conference. In 2013 the Institute of Health Economics (IHE, Canada) was selected to serve as the INAHTA Secretariat.
Health technology assessment (HTA) is the systematic evaluation of the properties and effects of a health technology, addressing the direct and intended effects of this technology, as well as its indirect and unintended consequences, and aimed mainly at informing decision making regarding health technologies. Note: HTA is conducted by interdisciplinary groups that use explicit analytical frameworks drawing on a variety of methods.
For more definitions, visit the international HTA Glossary produced by INAHTA, HTAi and other partner organisations.
McMaster University
GIN and McMaster University entered into a partnership to jointly evolve and publish a Guideline Development Checklist. The checklist was produced for the benefit of guideline developers to ensure that no key steps are missed when developing a guideline. Its use will support the development and implementation of trustworthy guidelines. For further information and to find the online and pdf versions of the checklist, as well as several translations and a glossary of terms and tutorials, please visit the website.