NAEC Announces Development of Practice Guidelines for Epilepsy Centers
and Calls for Nominations for Guideline Panel

The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) is pleased to announce that it is undertaking the development of an evidence-informed practice guideline for epilepsy centers.  NAEC will follow an evidence-informed process that meets current standards for national and international guidelines using explicit and transparent methods. The guidelines will be developed by a designated panel of experts screened for conflicts of interest and representing important stakeholders in the epilepsy center multi-disciplinary team, as well as individuals with epilepsy and parents and caregivers of individuals with epilepsy. The development of the guideline document will incorporate existing evidence-based literature, supplemental data from accredited epilepsy centers collected via surveys, and the expert knowledge of the experienced panelists.NAEC published the first iteration of its Guidelines for Essential Services, Personnel, and Facilities in Specialized Epilepsy Centers (2010) in 1990 and published updates to the document in 2001 and 2010.  The NAEC Board began discussions in 2020 on how to update the current published document to better align it with NAEC’s well-recognized center accreditation program and has decided to pursue guideline development following a more rigorous approach involving a broader group of stakeholders.

NAEC has contracted with EBQ Consulting to assist the Association in developing the guideline document to reflect the desired quality, safety, and practice standards of level 3 and level 4 epilepsy centers, aligned with NAEC’s accreditation program.  EBQ has significant experience in evidence-based and evidence-informed guidelines. They provide a team of highly educated, skilled, and experienced methodologists, data analysts, medical librarians, and managers to this project.

Please forward this email to members of your center who may be interested in applying to serve on the Guideline Panel.  The Guideline Panel Application can be found here.  Completed applications are due by July 6, 2021.  More information on the Guideline development process, including the project scope, timeline, and the expectations for panelists can be found here. The Guideline Conflict of Interest Policy can be found here.