The All-Ireland Guidelines for the diagnosis, assessment and management of lymphoedema

Abstract

The last decade has produced a plethora of lymphoedema-based research. As such, a new All-Ireland Guideline for lymphoedema diagnosis, assessment and management was required to replace the 2008 CREST Guideline. A research team was commissioned to work with healthcare staff and service users following international research standards practice. An evidence–based clinical practice guideline was developed to aid clinicians in the diagnosis, assessment, and management of lymphoedema. Recommendations were formulated based on the evidence available to answer each clinical question and were assigned a grade based on the strength of the evidence. In the absence of sufficient evidence and in an effort to maximise clinical applicability, recommendations were also based on expert opinion, which was gathered via guideline member consensus. The recommendations from the guideline, which aim to provide healthcare professionals with clear, evidence-based guidance on the diagnosis, assessment and management of patients with all types of lymphoedema, should be communicated at all levels regarding responsibility for implementation in clinical care and service development. Audit should be a core component of the implementation. A budget impact analysis should be completed to determine additional costs required to fully implement the guideline.