Published: 27 July 2018

HRB-CICER contributes to National Clinical Guidelines for Type 1 Diabetes

'The ink seems hardly dry on the contract that established HRB-CICER* and already patients are benefiting from its work', says Dr Mairead O'Driscoll, Director of Research, Strategy and Funding at the HRB.

'This is a concrete example of the HRB delivering on one of its strategic aims, namely, to help policy makers, service planners, and providers to make evidence-informed decisions', she adds.

HRB-CICER (Health Research Board - Collaboration in Ireland for Clinical Effectiveness Reviews) was awarded €2.25m funding over five years (2017-2021). It was established to deliver the systematic clinical effectiveness and economic literature reviews and the budget impact analysis needed for National Clinical Effectiveness Committee-prioritised guidelines.

It provided a review of economic evidence and a review of budget impact analysis to the National Clinical Guideline No 17 for 'Adult type 1 diabetes mellitus' - which was recently published by the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee**.

Three key changes to service delivery will occur as a result of implementation of the guideline recommendations. These are:

1. the national provision of a high-quality structured patient education programme to empower people with Type 1 diabetes to effectively manage their diabetes and the external factors that can influence their blood glucose levels such as exercise and stress
2. the standardisation of patient follow-up in diabetes clinics where patients are recalled at least every six months  
3. short courses for all staff who deliver care to people with Type 1 diabetes in Ireland.

Both HRB-CICER reviews supporting the National Clinical Guideline on adult type 1 diabetes are published on the NCEC website. More information is also available from the HIQA website. 

*The HRB-CICER team is a multidisciplinary research team supported by staff from HIQA and RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), as well as national and international clinical and methodological experts. The team collaborates closely with Guideline Development Groups to ensure that their work can be used to inform evidence-based recommendations.

**The NCEC quality assures National Clinical Guidelines for use in healthcare in Ireland. The goal of these guidelines is to promote healthcare that is current, effective and consistent, ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients. To achieve this, the guidelines must be based on the best available scientific evidence of clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness and incorporate the budget impact of their implementation.