The Perioperative Quality Initiative (POQI) is an international, multidisciplinary non-profit organization that organizes a series of consensus conferences on topics of interest related to perioperative medicine. Each consensus conference has the aim of providing an objective, dispassionate distillation of the literature related to the chosen topics, and from this to produce consensus statements that interpret the available data, identify unanswered questions and most importantly offers recommendations to improve patient care.

The POQI consensus conference process consists of three stages:

• Pre-conference planning and preparation
  
• Consensus conference
  
• Post-conference guidance production

During the pre-conference phase, the POQI conference directors select topics for which there is an apparent need for a consensus statement from a group of international experts to offer recommendations for patient care. Work groups are then assembled to review each topic. The work group consists of a chair, co-chair, and several delegates who are experts in at least one of the topics that will be discussed. Each work group will thoroughly review the literature, generate a bibliography of relevant literature, and identify a list of important questions to be addressed in the final consensus manuscript.

The POQI conference itself is an intensive 2-day interactive face-to-face meeting where delegates debate and question the key issues in each topic. Plenary sessions involving all delegates alternate with work group sessions with continuous iterative refinement of questions and consensus recommendations throughout the conference. Recommendations are graded and dissent recorded where applicable.

Post-conference, each workgroup finalizes a consensus statement on their topic for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Delegates are expected to contribute to the preparation of each manuscript during the process.

POQI Board