Birth and development of the SIMLII Guidelines program.

OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to review the steps that the Italian Society Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene (SIMLII) has undertaken over the past two decades in the context of a process of integration with quality systems, resulting in several initiatives including the production of different tools for the updating and professional qualification of the Occupational Health Physician (OHP).

METHODS: The choice of focusing on a propositional-formative model such as the guidelines (GL) and the choice of the topics to be dealt with, was based on the need to provide the OHP with appropriate tools in order to face the complexity, specificity and rapidity of knowledge evolution which characterize our discipline.

RESULTS: After the release of the first set of instruments (25 GL) over the five-year period 2003-2008, it became necessary to adhere to the guidelines of the GL National Program, distinguishing GL's evidence based, from consensus / orientation documents or technical assessments.

CONCLUSIONS: In recent years, the introduction of the AGREE method has been of great interest and importance for assessing the quality of content and recommendations, also considering the recent legislation provisions on the criminal and civil liability of the Physician.