Consensus Statement
A formal agreement among a panel of experts on a particular clinical topic, typically produced when the evidence base is insufficient for a formal guideline. Consensus statements represent expert opinion informed by available evidence and are used for emerging therapeutic areas.
Technical Context
Consensus methods include: Delphi technique (iterative anonymous questionnaire rounds to converge on agreement), nominal group technique (structured face-to-face discussion with anonymous voting), and consensus development conference (structured presentation of evidence followed by panel deliberation). Consensus statements are used when: evidence is insufficient for formal guidelines, the topic is emerging or controversial, expert interpretation is needed to bridge evidence gaps, or rapid guidance is needed before formal guidelines can be developed. In the peptide therapeutics space, consensus statements have addressed: optimal management of GLP-1 RA gastrointestinal side effects, use of somatostatin analogues in various NET subtypes, and management of GnRH agonist-related bone loss.