The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) have extended the public comment period for the draft of their joint guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease for an additional 30 days. The deadline to submit comments is now Sept. 9, 2019.
In addition to the deadline extension, the format of the draft guidelines posted on the public comment website has been changed to allow readers to search, download and print the document, ensuring that anyone interested in submitting comments is able to access the draft guidelines and have appropriate time to review and comment. The decision to change the format of the draft guidelines was made after the groups heard from members of the public that the draft document, originally posted as a protected PDF, was difficult to view and access, making commenting difficult.
IDSA, AAN and ACR sincerely value the opinions of patients and the general public and are hopeful that the new format of the draft document on the website, as well as the 30-day extension, will provide more opportunity for valuable feedback.
The draft guidelines are based on a systematic review of current research surrounding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease and are written with the goals of improving patient outcomes and ensuring patient safety.
During the public comment period, IDSA, AAN, and ACR are seeking input from not only physicians and healthcare professionals, but also individuals affected by Lyme disease, such as patients, caregivers, patient organization members, advocates, and researchers. Those wishing to provide feedback can view the draft guidelines and submit their comments on the IDSA website.
Feedback gathered during the public comment period will be taken into consideration by the guidelines panel, comprised of experts from 16 medical specialties, as well as patients, before the document is approved by IDSA, AAN and ACR and finalized for publication. For more information, visit the IDSA website.
About the organizations:
- The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is a community of over 11,000 physicians, scientists, and public health experts who specialize in infectious diseases. Its purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities, and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health, and prevention relating to infectious diseases.
- The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with more than 36,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care.
- The American College of Rheumatology is an international medical society representing over 8,600 rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals with a mission to empower rheumatology professionals to excel in their specialty. In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care.
