The Standardisation Steering Committee (SSC) establishes terminology and methodology in the International Continence Society’s areas of activity, to underpin professional standards of clinical management and research.
The value of the SSC is in promoting best standards when clinicians and allied professionals communicate with patients and colleagues, undertake diagnostic tests, proceed to therapeutic interventions and undertake research. Precise use of agreed terminology ensures clear understanding for collaborating centres and readers of publications. Adherence to the diagnostic testing standards gives patients and clinical colleagues confidence that conclusions on which important therapeutic decisions are based are reliable. Development of future insights into mechanisms and treatments of the disease areas relevant to the ICS is enhanced where research studies employ internationally-standardised approaches.
The terminology Wiki
To make it easier to find the important information produced by the SSC, a one-stop resource is under development which includes all the reports, the key definitions and additional material. This is the ICS Wiki page>>.
Please make allowance for the fact the Wiki is work in progress and will take us a couple of months to be fully populated.
SSC functions
· Working to develop and support a programme of development of professional Standardisation documents relating to terminology, diagnostics, clinical management and research in the areas of activity of the ICS
· Undertaking timely revision of Standardisation documents to ensure they retain contemporaneous relevance, assimilating feedback from all stakeholders
· Promoting adherence to Standardisation document recommendations in professional practice of all clinicians and allied professionals working in ICS areas of activity
· Providing regular information on SSC activity to the ICS membership
· Supporting infrastructure for reciprocal and responsive dialogue between the SSC and the ICS membership
· Developing and maintaining a high-quality SSC microsite on the ICSOffice.org website
· Providing advice to the ICS Trustees in relation to policy issues that relate to the SSC activities
· Developing effective working relationships with other ICS Committees and allied organisations outside the ICS
See the SSC’s terms of reference>>
Current ICS reports
Methods of developing reports
For the ever-changing context of modern-day medicine, the revision and initiation of reports is the responsibility of specially-convened Working Groups.
If you wish to propose development of a future report, please info@icsoffice.org the ICS who will forward it to the Chairperson of the SSC.
For a detailed review of the process, see; http://www.icsoffice.org/Documents/Documents.aspx?DocumentID=1010
Active working groups
Urodynamic Equipment, due to report in 2012. The Chairperson is Mr Andrew Gammie
Terminology of Anorectal dysfunction (jointly with IUGA). The Chairperson is Mr Abdul Sultan
Chronic Pelvic Pain, due to report in 2013. The chairperson is Dr Ragi Doggweiler
SSC Committee members;
Marcus Drake-Chair
Catherine DuBeau
Robert Freeman
Jane Meijlink
Ash Monga
Peter Rosier
Ralph Webb
Kristene Whitmore
External resources
The following external sites may be of interest. The ICS is not responsible for the content of external sites.
· International Consultation on Incontinence- Research Society http://www.ici-rs.org/
· International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire http://www.iciq.net/index.html
· International Urogynecology Association http://www.iuga.org/ (only IUGA members can view the IUGA Terminology and Standardization Committee pages)