Scientific methodology of the development of the Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida: An initiative of the Spina Bifida Association.

BACKGROUND: We combined literature review and consensus-building methodologies to develop health care guidelines for people with Spina Bifida across the life span. OBJECTIVE: The present paper describes the methodology used to update and expand this fourth edition of the Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida ("Guidelines"). This process was a fundamental initiative within the Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network. METHODS: Working groups were formed consisting of international, multidisciplinary teams of clinical and research experts. A systematic review of multiple databases was conducted. The consensus building methodology, One-Text Procedure, was followed to draft and revise documents. Each section of the Guidelines was presented by working group chairs at a face-to-face meeting using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). RESULTS: The Level 1 review resulted in 2449 abstracts being reviewed, and the Level 2 review resulted in 874 full text articles being archived for working groups. After working groups added and eliminated articles, a total of 803 manuscripts were included in the bibliography of the Guidelines. The final version of the Guidelines was then released in 2018. CONCLUSIONS: Evidenced based-research and consensus methodologies were used to develop the fourth edition of the Guidelines. It is hoped that this document will guide not only health care providers, but also patients and families, so that people with Spina Bifida can have the best and most scientifically-based care and treatments throughout ever-longer and higher-quality lives.

Implementing and Evaluating a Counseling Program in Partnership With a Community-based Domestic Violence Service Provider.

BACKGROUND: Given the burden of intimate partner violence (IPV), effective counseling interventions that are accessible to women in their own communities are needed. OBJECTIVES: To describe the collaborative process of implement ing and evaluating a new counseling program for IPV-the Women's Initiative for Safety and Health (WISH)-in a community setting and present results of its Thrst pilot test. METHODS: WISH is a stage-tailored, eight-session counseling program based on the transtheoretical model. Imple men tation evaluation addressed program exposure/Thdelity, counselor experience, and client experience. Outcome evaluation measured change in IPV-related incidents, self-efficacy, decisional balance, overall health, quality of life, and stage of change among 19 women. RESULTS: Both counselors and clients perceived the WISH intervention positively. Across all outcomes, there were improvements among some women, most notably in perceived self-efficacy, decisional balance, and stage of change. CONCLUSIONS: Academic-community partnerships can facilitate the translation of theory-based interventions for use in community-based settings.