Scientific Documenst Methodology

The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) supports the development of scientific documents to advance foundational knowledge, clarify emerging scientific trends, and guide future directions in cardiac electrophysiology. These documents provide timely, evidence-informed insights on key topics that are critical to the arrhythmia care community but are not addressed through traditional clinical practice guidelines.

To manage this important work, the HRS established the Scientific Documents Committee (SDC), which oversees the entire development process—from proposal review to endorsement and publication. The SDC works closely with other HRS committees, including the Clinical Guidelines Committee, to ensure a cohesive publication strategy that avoids duplication and reflects the Society’s mission and strategic priorities.

The HRS Scientific Documents Methodology Manual outlines the standards and processes by which HRS develops a wide range of scientific documents, including scientific statements, rapid science updates, clinical decision pathways, appropriate use criteria, competency and training statements, operator and institutional requirements, data standards, and health policy statements. These documents are developed in collaboration with diverse stakeholders and are grounded in transparency, methodological rigor, and responsiveness to emerging needs in the field.

The methodology described in the manual reflects best practices in evidence synthesis and document development, and is informed by HRS’s experience with collaborative, multidisciplinary authorship and peer review.

The following stages make up the HRS scientific document development process:

• Topic identification and prioritization
• Writing committee formation and authorship
• Disclosure and management of relationships with industry (RWI)
• Refinement of scope and evidence review
• Development of recommendations (when applicable)
• Drafting and review of the manuscript
• Peer review and optional public comment
• Endorsement by HRS and external societies
• Publication and dissemination
• Ongoing review for currency and updates

HRS scientific documents are developed independently of industry funding. All disclosures and funding sources are transparently reported in the published documents.

If you have questions or would like more information, please email [email protected].