CSP endorsement panel

The CSP has supported the development, endorsement and publication of physiotherapy-specific clinical guidelines on behalf of the profession. This programme of activity was developed in response to the clinical effectiveness agenda of the late 1990's. It has since evolved in response to groups of members submitting work to the CSP for endorsement and publication. See further down this page for more information on:

• CSP-commissioned physiotherapy guidelines
• Non CSP-commissioned physiotherapy guidelines

The physiotherapy profession has also engaged in both multi- and uni-professional guidelines:

• NICE guidelines
• SIGN guidelines

Initially, physiotherapy-specific clinical guidelines were developed on an ad hoc basis by physiotherapists, non-commissioned guidelines, who would submit them to the CSP Research and Clinical Effectiveness Unit (R&CEU) to get the CSP 'seal of approval', and for help with publication. In 1998, in response to such requests, the R&CEU established an endorsement process, aimed to give confidence to members and the public in the quality of any CSP-published guideline. If successful, endorsement would lead to help from the CSP with the printing, dissemination and implementation of the guideline.

CSP endorsement panel

Important notice: the Clinical Guidelines Endorsement Panel will not consider any publication for endorsement in 2007. The Clinical Guidelines Endorsement Panel (CGEP) assessed the rigour of physiotherapy guidelines, and made a decision to endorse them or not, based on an internationally agreed appraisal instrument.

• recommending clinical guidelines to the profession and public
• ensuring guideline developers receive appropriate feedback and advice following their submission of a guideline for endorsement
• monitoring the review dates of endorsed clinical guidelines

This process involved considering comments and assessments from external reviewers regarding guidelines submitted for endorsement. The panel then made decisions about whether a clinical guideline had been developed with sufficient rigour to provide relevant and reliable recommendations about practice. The Panel would consider the views of external reviewers, including experts in that field and a lay representative, in deciding on the guideline's suitability for endorsement.

CSP-commissioned physiotherapy guidelines

In view of the resources (human and financial) required to develop and endorse a guideline, a need was identified to ensure that the topic was of sufficient clinical importance to warrant the investment of time and effort. In 2002 the CSP undertook a guidelines priorities exercise through which the CSP sought to identify such topics on which a guideline could be developed and then to prioritise which guidelines should be commissioned. The guidelines priorities exercise identified two topics: whiplash and low back pain.

Towards the end of this commissioning programme the Society undertook a review. The Society will not commission any more guidelines until the recommendations of the review have been implemented.

Non CSP-commissioned physiotherapy guidelines

The CSP has published seven non-commissioned guidelines