AMA Guides® Editorial Panel selection process

The AMA assembled an editorial panel of highly skilled physicians and advanced practice professionals to oversee the stakeholder-driven AMA Guides content curation via a transparent process.

Modeled after the highly effective CPT Editorial Panel, the AMA Guides Editorial Panel will be tasked with evaluating content change proposals based on published acceptance criteria.

To source the necessary expertise the AMA solicited nominations from more than 200 organizations throughout the medical community.  From the nominees, an AMA-appointed selection committee including AMA senior management and physician leaders selected co-chairs.  The co-chairs then completed selection of the panel based upon broad guidance from the AMA that the panel include the broad medical expertise necessary to reflect the scope of the AMA Guides, and diversity that reflects the physician and patient populations served by the AMA Guides.

The 13 member AMA Guides Editorial Panel is comprised of 11 physicians and two non-physician health care providers. Through the panel, the AMA convenes experts from a variety of specialties, including neurology, nursing, occupational medicine, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pain medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, preventive medicine and psychiatry.

Additionally, the panel has advisors who represent the perspectives of the broader stakeholder community – recognizing that participation from broad stakeholders is required for this most current medicine to reach physicians and patients.

• The editorial process will draw on the AMA’s unique collaborative capability to gain insights from the entire health care community
• The panel will represent diverse expertise in medical care and impairment rating that reflects the communities the AMA Guides serve
• The panel will deliver timely enhancements to the AMA Guides to incorporate the most current evidence-based and consensus-based medicine.
• The panel will promote equitable and consistent impairment ratings and pragmatic guidance for physicians conducting evaluations.

The panel is committed to establishing transparency while maintaining the AMA Guides, including:

• Regular incorporation of new medical advances
• Utilizing the most current protocols to provide fair and consistent evaluations
• Focusing editorial priorities on areas where additional guidance is most needed
• Publishing content on a consistent cadence that recognizes state regulations and legislative cycles
• Hosting open meetings

• Learn more about AMA Guides Sixth 2024
• Visit the overview page to get details about the initiative to modernize the Guides
• Learn how to submit a proposal  
• Register for an upcoming meeting
• Review and download documents from past meetings 
• See the list of members of the AMA Guides Editorial Panel
• Review the FAQs