TY - JOUR T1 - The new BTS/SIGN asthma guidelines: where evidence leads the way JF - Thorax JO - Thorax SP - 98 LP - 99 DO - 10.1136/thorax.58.2.98 VL - 58 IS - 2 AU - B G Higgins AU - J G Douglas Y1 - 2003/02/01 UR - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/58/2/98.abstract N2 - Announcing the publication of the new BTS/SIGN asthma guidelines as a supplement to this issue of Thorax. It is 12 years since the first British guidelines on asthma management in adults were published as two papers in the BMJ.1,2 The British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines were rewritten in 19933 with additional advice on childhood asthma, and further updated in 1995.4 Elsewhere, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) published their guideline on the hospital management of asthma in 19965 based on the BTS work, and subsequently published on the primary care management of asthma in 19986 and the management of acute asthma in 1999.7 While the BTS versions have been among the most widely implemented of all clinical guidelines, there has been an increasing need to update them using evidence-based methodology and covering all aspects of asthma care. With this issue of Thorax the new British guidelines on the management of asthma8 produced jointly by the BTS and SIGN are published in a separate supplement. The development process has involved individuals from all relevant professional groups involved in asthma care in the UK. Initial literature searches based on key questions produced over 15 000 abstracts and all relevant published papers up to the end of September 2001 were considered. What changes has this evidence-based review brought?For those familiar with the previous guideline, the striking features will be the change in style and the increased size of the new version. The design will be more familiar to those working in Scotland since it follows the basic pattern of all SIGN publications. It is important—and hopefully interesting—for readers to be able to link the recommendations in the guideline to the supporting evidence, and the format of the guidelines follows naturally from this. … ER -