Are Australian guideline panels gender balanced?

Summary In this project, a student will conduct an analysis of the gender composition of Australian guideline panels over the past ten years. It will involve developing a database of guideline panel members using the NHMRC guideline clearinghouse website, and conducting a descriptive quantitative analysis.

Project Details

The development of clinical guidelines is an important leadership role in clinical medicine and public health. Guideline panels are typically composed of leading technical experts in a particular field, as well as representatives of key stakeholder groups such as professional associations, consumer representatives and guideline implementers. An analysis of the gender composition of 230 WHO guideline panels in the past eleven years showed that more panel members were male, and two-thirds of guideline panels had a male Chair.

In this project, a student will conduct an analysis of the gender composition of Australian guideline panels over the past ten years. It will involve developing a database of guideline panel members using the

NHMRC guideline clearinghouse website, and conducting a descriptive quantitative analysis.
The student will work with the Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health Group at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne (primarily desk-based research). This project would allow a student to gain experience in gender theory and quantitative analysis methods, with a view to a scientific publication. The findings will be critical for Australian healthcare decision-makers.