Background
The development of evidence-based guidelines is crucial for enhancing healthcare quality, optimizing treatment strategies, and ensuring the efficient use of resources. Globally, organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) continuously refine these guidelines through rigorous research and expert consensus. In India, the need for such guidelines is particularly pressing due to diverse healthcare challenges, regional disparities, and resource limitations. The fragmented nature of guideline development, along with the absence of a centralized authority, has impacted the uniformity and scientific rigor of clinical standards. The National Health Policy 2017 emphasized the importance of standardized, evidence-based guidelines applicable to both public and private healthcare sectors. The Department of Health Research (DHR) under the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) initiated the Centre for Evidence-Based Guidelines (CEG) in February 2023. The CEG is mandated to systematically review available evidence, apply the GRADE methodology, and develop robust guidelines. It also engages in training sessions and workshops to enhance expertise in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis. In September 2024, the Centre launched 27 Technical Resource Centers (TRCs). Five specialized research hubs were also established to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based decision-making.
Vision
• To improve healthcare quality in India. • To lead efforts in gathering and coordinating healthcare research. • To make scientifically backed guidelines accessible to healthcare professionals.
Mission
• The Centre is committed to coordinating the development of evidence-based guidelines that reflect the best available scientific research. • It aims to ensure these guidelines are aligned with national health priorities and India’s specific healthcare needs. • It seeks collaboration with DoHFW, NHSRC, ICMR, and other health agencies.
Objectives
• To formulate evidence-based clinical and public health guidelines. • To perform evidence synthesis for drafting clinical guidelines in line with the national priorities. • To improve healthcare delivery by providing consistent guidelines. • To collaborate with stakeholders for widespread adoption of guidelines. • To offer training and build capacity in systematic reviews and meta-analysis. • To establish a process for periodic update of guidelines.
List of Technical Resource Centers (TRCs)
1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand. 2. Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. 3. Department of Pharmacy Practices, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Punjab. 4. Department of Orthopedics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. 5. Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. 6. Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi. 7. Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. 8. Division of Medical Research, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu. 9. ICMR-Centre for Ageing and Mental Health, Kolkata, West Bengal. 10 .Centre for Dental Education and Research, AIIMS, New Delhi. 11. ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 12. Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu. 13. Department of Prosthodontics, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. 14. Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. 15. Department of Public Health, MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Karnataka. 16. Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, Jharkhand. 17. Faculty of Nursing, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 18. Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Sri Ramchandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 19. Department of Community Medicine, All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Maharashtra. 20. Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, KMC, MAHE, Manipal, Karnataka. 21. Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, Assam. 22. Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, Assam. 23. School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Punjab. 24. Department of Neonatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. 25. Department of Pharmacy Practice, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Karnataka. 26. Department of Public Health, Kalyan Singh Super Specialty Cancer Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. 27. ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
List of Technical Resource Hubs (TRHs)
1. Department of Paediatric Pulmonology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Punjab. 2. Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. 3. Department of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Christian Medical College, Vellore. 4. Division of Evidence Synthesis, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (DMIHER), Wardha, Maharashtra. 5. Department of Pharmacy Practice, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati, Assam.
Workshops Organized
a) Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology workshop for systematic review teams of lung cancer guidelines was held on 1st August and 2nd August 2024 at DHR: •A two-day in-person workshop on the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) methodology was conducted on August 1–2, 2024, at the Department of Health Research (DHR). The primary objective was to provide comprehensive training to 25 systematic review teams involved in developing lung cancer guidelines. The workshop aimed to ensure uniform application of GRADE criteria across all systematic reviews, fostering consistency and methodological rigor in evaluating the evidence. •During the workshop, participants were introduced to the theoretical underpinnings of GRADE, including its core components such as assessing the certainty of evidence, grading recommendations, and understanding the evidence-to-decision framework. Extensive hands-on training sessions enabled participants to practically apply GRADE methodology to real-world datasets. b) Centre for guidelines scientists as resource persons for systematic review workshops: •Evidence-based Guideline Development using the GRADE Approach was held on 19-20 October 2024, at PGIMER Chandigarh organized by ICMR Advanced Centre for Evidence Based Child Health (ACEBCH) •Systematic review workshop for MPH scholars at ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar, from 2nd to 5th April 2024 •Training cum workshop on Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, held from 24 to 26 July 2024 at ICMR–RMRC, Gorakhpur. c)GRADE Methodology workshop for systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in Oct 2023. DHR Winter School workshop on Systematic Reviews & Meta-analysis conducted in Dec 2023. d)Training of 6 postgraduate interns (Master’s in Public Health) from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur (Rajasthan) in systematic reviews, evidence synthesis etc. apart from other activities conducted in DHR e.g. Bioethics Registry, Health Technology Assessment etc.
Systematic Reviews and Networking Support in Health (SARANSH)
•The SARANSH initiative was launched to strengthen regional capacity in conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses across the country. This program provides funding support to medical institutes and colleges to organize high-quality, hands-on workshops focused on systematic reviews and meta-analysis methodologies. •A key objective of SARANSH is to foster collaborative networking between participating institutes/colleges and the DHR-Centre for Evidence-Based Guidelines. This partnership aims to enhance the quality and scope of systematic reviews, aligning them with evidence-based guideline development processes. •Ten SARANSH workshops have been successfully conducted in different regions of the country.
Strategic Conclave for TRCs
• Convened in January 2025 at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. • Brought together Principal Investigators (PIs) from 27 TRCs to discuss collaboration, standardization, and share best practices.
