ObjectivesTo investigate Chinese health practitioners’ usage and demand for clinical practice guidelines in general so as to improve the development and implementation of guidelines.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey that covered health practitioners from different levels of medical institutions in 17 provinces in China. Attitudes, adherence, usage barriers and demands for clinical practice guidelines were investigated.ResultsA total of 953 health practitioners were involved in the survey in which 931 completed the questionnaires. Respondents generally held positive attitudes toward guidelines and agreed that they improved quality of care and standardized diagnosis and treatment. More than 80% of the respondents reported a fine adherence to guidelines. The most reported barriers to follow the guidelines were " several guidelines are competing” and " lack of facilities and medical resources”. Most respondents agreed that it was necessary to establish a national guideline database, appraise implementation effect of guidelines, develop evaluation tools for guidelines that are applicable for Chinese clinical practice, and provide guidelines training.ConclusionsThis study finds favorable attitudes and fine adherence towards clinical guidelines in general in China. However, internal barriers, such as authority of guidelines, and external barriers, such as supplying system and patients’ preference, can affect guideline dissemination and implementation. It is suggested that establishing a national guidelines database, developing evaluation tools for guidelines that fit for Chinese clinical practice, and provision of guideline training, would facilitate the use of guidelines.
Rapid, living evidence-based points, as a new model promoting the rapid translation of evidence, aim to integrate the current best evidence, clinical status, public/patient preferences and values, and provide concise and practical guidance rapidly to important questions concerned in clinical medicine and public health. This paper introduces the methodological framework for the development of "Rapid, Living Evidence-Based Points" from 4 aspects: initiation and planning, evidence search and review, development, update, publication and dissemination of evidence-based points, in order to provide a reference for domestic scholars in developing rapid, living evidence-based points.
Pathological myopic tractional maculopathy (MTM), as an important type of macular lesions associated with high myopia, play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of myopic macular diseases. With the rapid development of retinal imaging technologies, especially the widespread application of optical coherence tomography, new technical support has been provided for the accurate diagnosis, clinical staging, treatment decision-making, and long-term follow-up of MTM. However, in clinical practice in China, there are still issues such as unclear definitions, inconsistent staging criteria, and significant differences in treatment strategies. To address these challenges, Fundus Diseases Group in Ophthalmology Branch of Chinese Medical Association and Professional Committee of Fundus Diseases in Ophthalmology Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association for Ophthalmologists jointly drafted the Expert consensus on management of pathologic myopic tractional maculopathy in China, based on a systematic literature review and the latest clinical evidence. The consensus was revised multiple times by the core expert group and finally finalized. This consensus systematically establishes a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic system for MTM, covering disease definition and staging, diagnostic pathways and follow-up protocols, treatment strategies based on staging, and surgical intervention plans. It aims to provide ophthalmologists at all levels with a scientifically sound and practically applicable clinical guidance. The development of the consensus strictly adheres to the principles of evidence-based medicine, fully considering the actual clinical conditions of medical institutions at different levels in China. It provides principled recommendations with broad guiding significance for the clinical practice of MTM. It is particularly emphasized that when applying this consensus, clinicians should comprehensively consider the patient’s clinical characteristics, treatment accessibility, and socioeconomic factors, and implement personalized and precise treatment strategies to meet the diverse clinical needs of patients with pathological myopia.
Objective To systematically review the requirements of patient participation in clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) in Chinese and foreign guideline development manuals. Methods Thirty-six authoritative society websites and guideline databases and 5 commonly used databases were searched online. Relevant information on patients’ participation in the guideline manuals was collected, summarized, and analyzed. Results A total of 37 manuals (33 foreign and 4 Chinese) were included. The requirements for the number of patients, the right to speak, status equality, and the right to vote in the guideline development manual accounted for 35.1%, 13.5%, 8.1%, and 5.4%, respectively. The requirements for participants’ mode of participation were not mentioned in the guideline development manuals from 2000 to 2010. There were 6 (16.2%) in 2011–2015 and 12 (32.4%) in 2016–2022. The comprehensive guidelines for multiple disease types accounted for 35.7%, 28.6%, and 57.1%, respectively, in terms of requirements for participants’ knowledge or experience, management of specialized personnel, and training support. The specific guidelines for a certain type of disease or drug accounted for 21.7%, 4.3%, and 17.4%, respectively; fifteen (40.5%) guideline development manuals mentioned the specific collection forms of patients’ values and preferences in guideline development. Conclusion Given changes to medical models and the emphasis on patients’ rights and interests, an increasing number of manuals have proposed requirements that consider the expression of patients’ values and preferences in manual development, and the dimensions of manual development are constantly enriched. However, manuals outlining the requirements of patient participation are still not comprehensive and can continue to improve.
Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) serve as the cornerstone of medical decision-making, with evaluation tools such as AGREE and RIGHT designed to ensure that these guidelines are grounded in the best available evidence and contribute to enhancing healthcare quality. This article reviews the historical development and current status of CPG evaluation tools, examining their diversity, complexity, application challenges, and inconsistencies in evaluation outcomes. A thorough discussion is provided on the strengths and weaknesses of existing evaluation tools, along with proposed future developmental directions. It is recommended that future efforts prioritize the creation of more streamlined tool designs, foster enhanced international collaboration strategies, and incorporate artificial intelligence technologies. These initiatives aim to improve both the efficiency and accuracy of evaluative processes while facilitating advancements in healthcare practices towards elevated quality standards.
This study was an interpretation study based on the standard of AGREEⅡ. It analyzed methodological perspective of the International Evidence-Based Recommendations for Focused Cardiac Ultrasound determined by the International Conference on Focused Cardiac UltraSound (IC-FoCUS).
By employing the nominal group technique, as per the process standard of the EQUATOR Collaboration Network, experts were selected through purposeful sampling. Two rounds of nominal group discussions were conducted, and the essential information of the utilization of the consensus method was extracted from the literature. After comparison, discussion, evaluation, and optimization, a list of 3 fields, 11 themes, 63 necessary items, and 28 supplementary items was eventually constructed to upgrade the standardization and rigor of the application of the consensus method in the future, assisting guideline developers to plan the consensus process.
Neuromuscular disease (NMD) encompasses a group of disorders that affect motor neurons, peripheral nerves, neuromuscular junctions, and skeletal muscles, potentially leading to respiratory muscle impairment and decline in respiratory function, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. In March 2023, clinical practice guideline titled Respiratory Management of Patients with Neuromuscular Weakness was released by the American College of Chest Physicians. This article summarizes, categorizes, and interprets the contents and key points of the guideline, aiming to provide more targeted guidance for clinical healthcare professionals and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of respiratory management for patients with NMD.
Primary osteoporosis is a common metabolic disease in China, causing immense disease and economic burden to patients, their families and the society. Prevention is an important strategy to reduce the disease burden of primary osteoporosis. Calcium, as a basic element for maintaining bone health, plays an important role in the prevention of primary osteoporosis. This guideline was initiated by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Society Evidence-based Pharmacy Specialised Committee. The standard methodology for the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) was employed. A multidisciplinary guideline working group was formed. Delphi method was used to select and eventually identified 15 key clinical questions. Systematic evaluation was carried out on each of the key clinical question and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to formed 15 recommendations, providing guidance for standardizing the clinical practice of calcium supplementation in prevention of primary osteoporosis in adults in China.