Standards and Best Practice Council

The ILAE Standards and Best Practice Council was recently created with the aim of overviewing all aspects of ILAE’s work on the development, effective dissemination and efforts at implementing Clinical Practice Guidelines and Best Practices Standards in epilepsy.

Mandate

To work within the framework of the ILAE Strategic Plan and Mission to overview all aspects of ILAE’s work on the development, effective dissemination and efforts at implementing Clinical Practice Guidelines and Recommendations and Best Practices Standards in epilepsy. The Council will subsume the work of the former Guidelines Task Force and will make recommendations to the Executive Committee about strategies to enhance the quality, relevance, and profile of ILAE, practice guidelines, recommendations, and standards in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment, rehabilitation, and inclusion. The Council will oversee the production of these standards as they are undertaken by individual groups within ILAE, as well as take steps needed to stay abreast of methodological and educational advances, and financial sustainability of ILAE activities relevant to achieving Goal One under Strategy 2030.

Specific activities include but are not limited to:

  • Undertaking needs assessment to establish priorities for ILAE related guidance and/or standard setting 
  • Establishing processes for reviewing, prioritizing, and approving proposed practice guidelines and consensus statements 
  • Establishing requirements and processes for periodic update of guidelines or for their retirement when they are no longer current or relevant
  • Establishing preferred processes and methods for consensus reports 
  • Working in partnership with other relevant organizations to set appropriate standards for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, psychosocial support, inclusion and rehabilitation 
  • Reviewing and endorsing for publication ILAE guidelines and guidance on best practice, approved for creation by ILAE groups 
  • Provide advice on optimal dissemination of standards and best practice guidance working in conjunction, as appropriate, with ILAE Education, Congress, and Publication Councils 
  • Creating a framework for adaptation of Guidelines to various demographic settings, including resource poor countries 
  • Assessing the reach and impact of ILAE guidance on standards and best practice 

Criteria for Appointment of Members and Chair and term limits

In addition to the process described under the document entitled Structure of ILAE Organizational Entities, the criteria for appointing the Chair and Members are as follows:

  • Chair: The Chair will have served in the Standards and Best Practice Council during the previous term and is appointed by the ILAE President from among the Council Members in consultation with the Executive Committee. The term of the Chair will be four years plus two years as past chair and cannot serve more than one term as Chair.
  • Members: The President will appoint one member of each of the following groups in consultation with the corresponding group: Education Council, Publication Council, YES and IBE, as well as a Liaison of the Management Committee appointed by the President and members with methodology experience. Regional representation is important. Members will serve for the duration of their term in the office they represent, with a maximum of four years. All members will serve for one term only, unless appointed as Chair. Members may be added as needed to meet the needs of the organization.