Submit a Guideline Topic Proposal

Submit a proposal for a new guideline or a focused update of a published SCCM guideline.

The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) invites the critical care community to submit proposals to help develop relevant, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to ensure consistent patient care. Proposals can be submitted by any SCCM member, SCCM committee, SCCM section, or external organization. While guideline topic submitters need not be SCCM members, those selected for leadership positions are required to obtain SCCM membership.

Before submitting, please review the guidelines development process, which delineates important aspects of the process in accordance with standards set by the SCCM Council via the American College of Critical Care Medicine Board of Regents.

Submit a Proposal

The guideline topic proposal portal will open on June 1, 2026. To be considered for the Society’s 2027 fiscal year, proposals must be submitted by July 31, 2026.

Email notifications regarding proposal review outcomes will be sent to the designated contact by the end of 2026.

The following core principles apply to guidelines development:

Recommendations are based on systematic review of the best quality of evidence available from peer-reviewed journals.
Panels will include knowledgeable, diverse, multiprofessional leaders.
Transparent conflict-of-interest management will be incorporated into the guidelines cycle.
Guidelines development will include the involvement of broadly defined stakeholders (including patients, when possible and if applicable).
Industry funding will not be used for guidelines development.
Updates are considered when new impactful science becomes available.
Potential involvement of other organizations, as approved, is possible at various levels of engagement.

Criteria for Selection

The selection process engages the following criteria to rank the highest-priority topics and guideline revisions:

New Guidelines

Areas of clinical uncertainty as evidenced by wide variation in practice or outcomes
Conditions for which effective treatment is proven and where mortality or morbidity could potentially be reduced and where no guidelines exist
Documented relevant and sufficient evidence that can be included in systematic evidence review
Clinical priority areas as determined by SCCM needs assessments and executive leaders
Documented need for the guidelines, as indicated by a large network of relevant stakeholders

Guideline Revisions: Focused Update

Modifications to no more than two PICO questions and two recommendations for a previously published guideline
Availability of new research that may change the existing practice recommendations
Data on guidelines access demonstrating its importance to the critical care community
Continued interest in a topic as indicated by SCCM's annual needs assessments
Number of citations indicating the value of the guidelines to the field