A Statement from the Public Policy Committee in Response to Questions on Protocols

The Public Policy Committee of the Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) is a group of wound care professionals who are voluntarily working toward improving the delivery of wound care nationally. Our mandate is to provide our membership with critically appraised guideline documents that support best practices in wound care.The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) instrument has been chosen by the committee to assist clinicians to critically analyse/evaluate protocols and guidelines, and ensure positive outcomes in keeping with "best wound care practice."

"The AGREE Tool was chosen because the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and other guideline review panels have recognized this tool as the successor and updated version of the Clousseau tool. Evidenced- based expert panels around the world have developed criteria for good guidelines as synthesized in the AGREE Tool." (RG Sibbald, June 12, 2003).

The committee will be reviewing other instruments in the future, but initially, we will use the AGREE instrument as a starting point. There will be an educational session on the AGREE tool and it use, at the annual meeting in Toronto, November 6th-9th, 2003. The Public Policy Forum will follow this session with a half- hour interactive discussion on the clinical application of the AGREE tool.

Information on the Agree Instrument can be accessed at gacguidelines.ca/pdfs/AG.pdf .

Respectfully Submitted,
Cathy Burrows RN, BScN
Chairperson, Public Policy Committee
CAWC

Please contact us at: cawc@sympatico.ca.