Rosa Rico, MSc

Medical Specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health.

Head of the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment-Osteba. Health Dep. Basque Government.

I have a degree in Medicine and Surgery by the Clinic Hospital, University of Barcelona, I am MSc in Health Community and Medical Specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health by the University of the Basque Country. I have been working in the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment OSTEBA (Health Department of the Basque Government) since its founding in 1992. I am currently the Head of OSTEBA. My experience in conducting systematic reviews and other management tools of Evidence-Based Medicine, has led my practice towards the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPG). I joined as member of the International Collaboration for developing the AGREE Instrument. I planned and led the Diffusion project of the AGREE Instrument far and wide of the Spanish National Health System. I also was founding member of G-I-N.

I took part in the Spanish Network REDEGUIAS GPC research and have been working specifically on the adoption of the GRADE system, through workshops for CPG developers in Basque Country and Spain. I have participated since its inception in GUÍASALUD- Library of Clinical Guidelines in the National Health System, being Director of the Scientific Committee and now I am member. I have contributed to develop the Methodological Manual for the preparation of the GPC and the Manual for the updating of the CPG in Spain.

As member of OSTEBA I have worked in collaboration with professionals of the Basque Health Service/Osakidetza in the CPG development and implementation project. As a result, some CPG have been published: Hypertension and its update, Asthma, Back Pain, cranial-encephalic injuries and hyperlipidaemia and since 2006, under the Agreement with Quality Agency of the Ministry of Health in Spain we have developed the CPG on Diabetes type 2, Diabetes type 1 (ongoing), Palliative Care and currently the CPG on Intrapartum Care for healthy women adapted from the NICE CPG.

"Vision of G-I-N in five years"

I am interested in the general vision of Clinical Practice Guidelines (GPC) as one of the instruments that contribute towards making Health Care increasingly patient-centered.

And also, generally speaking, I think we should promote other aspects underserved until now as the "equity" approach, not only at the time of the implementation of the recommendations, but in the same process of guidelines elaboration, so as to avoid any bias, develop fair recommendations and reduce health inequalities. This requires the incorporation of socio-political dimensions in the process of adaptation to local context.

Regarding technical issues I think that there is necessary to reinforce the "Adaptation process" so as to help other organisations to join in the production of GPG.

Another challenge is to keep "alive guidelines", ensuring that G-I-N will serve to optimise the resources needed for updating guidelines. For example, through collaborative projects or seeking funding from other scientific societies and submitting to calls for public bodies.

Also it is necessary to promote research. G-I-N could be an appropriate forum to identify and prioritise the topics of interest.

Email: rosarico-osteba@ej-gv.es