Consequences of Course Changes

The consequences for individuals with pre-existing certification are outlined in Table 3.

If no changes are made to course materials, recertification is not required until the periodic recertification requirement at 5 years is reached (as defined in Table 2).

Minor course changes will require individuals to either read an overview of changes or review revised sections of material (no testing required), depending on the nature of the minor change as outlined in Table 3.

Major course changes will require individuals to complete bridging material (testing required) or complete the entire course and quizzes/exam, again, depending on the nature of the major changes (Table 3).

The consequences of minor or major course changes to individuals with pre-existing certification apply to each level for which they are certified. For example, an individual certified as a Level 3: Master Guideline Developer would be subject to the consequences of course changes for their highest level of certification (i.e., level 3) as well as all previous levels of certification (i.e., levels 1 and 2).

Table 3. Definition & Consequences of Course Changes

Table 3. Definition & Consequences of Course Changes
* Updated materials will be provided free of charge pending budgetary review; if not financially feasible, then updated materials will be available for a pro-rated fee depending on how much time is left before an individual reaches their 5 year certification expiration date.
	Definition	Consequence to Individuals with Pre-Existing Certification
No Changes	N/A	Existing certification does not expire until 5 year renewal term (Table 2)
Minor Change	Fixing typos or grammatical errors Change in examples used to relay the same concept Change in visuals used to relay the same concept Change in branding	Existing certification does not expire until 5 year renewal term (Table 2) An overview of what has changed will be circulated to certified students via INGUIDE Program website & newsletter Review of revised materials is not require
Major Change	Changes to 1 or 2 G-I-N/ McMaster Guideline Development Checklist domains	Existing certification expires Completion of bridging materials is required (only for the domains that were changed) Bridging materials will be provided free of charge* Testing on materials for revised domains is required No further experiential training requirements
	Changes to 3 or more G-I-N/ McMaster Guideline Development Checklist domains	Existing certification expires Requires re-enrollment and completion of entire course, including testing (all free of charge*) No further experiential training requirements

Strategies to Minimize Consequences of Course Updating

We will implement a transparent timeline for course updating so all stakeholders can proactively schedule and plan for these changes in advance.