Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) guidelines development: standard operating procedure

The mission of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) is to innovate, educate, and collaborate to improve patient care. A critical element in meeting this mission is the publishing of trustworthy and current guidelines for the practicing surgeon. In this manuscript, we outline the steps of developing high quality practice guidelines using a completely volunteer-based professional organization. SAGES has developed a standardized approach to train volunteer surgeons and trainees alike to develop clinically pertinent guidelines in a timely manner, without sacrificing quality. This methodology can be used more widely by volunteer organizations to efficiently develop effective tools for practicing physicians.