Effective symptom management can alleviate the physical and psychological distress experienced by patients with cancer, improve quality of life, and contribute to treatment adherence and improve clinical outcomes. However, most existing guidelines are developed for healthcare professionals, and patients and the public have limited access to standardized and comprehensible guidance on symptom management. To address this gap and to facilitate effective communication and shared decision-making, this study proposes the development of a patient version of the cancer symptom management guideline. The development process will adhere to the methodological framework recommended by the Guidelines International Network and the World Health Organization. The GRADE approach will be employed to assess the certainty of evidence and to formulate recommendations. In addition, the process will be informed by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation Ⅱ (AGREE Ⅱ) instrument and the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare-Public or Patient Versions of Guidelines (RIGHT-PVG). This protocol outlines the establishment of the guideline working group, the identification and prioritization of key questions, evidence retrieval and appraisal, and the formulation of recommendations, with the aim of ensuring methodological rigor and transparency in the development of the patient guideline and providing methodological reference for similar guideline initiatives.
ObjectiveTo develop a patient version of guideline for non-pharmacological interventions in breast cancer, aiming to support patients decision-making and self-management. MethodsAdhering to international guidelines and the World Health Organization's methodology for guideline development, health issues from the patient perspective were identified through sentiment dictionaries, in-depth individual interviews, and clinical surveys. Official websites of guidelines, professional association websites and comprehensive databases were systematically searched. The quality of evidence was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Resource utilization was assessed by integrating health economics evidence, and preliminary recommendations were formulated using an Evidence-to-Decision (EtD) framework. Subsequently, two rounds of online consensus meetings and one Delphi round were conducted to refine and finalize the recommendations, resulting in the final patient guideline. ResultsThe patient and public version of guideline for non-pharmacological interventions in breast cancer encompassed three modules: disease knowledge, symptoms, and psychological well-being. It covered core content, including disease awareness, wound recovery, dietary nutrition, reproductive health, symptom management, and psychological adjustment. ConclusionDeveloped from the patient perspective and based on rigorous methodological processes, the guideline formulated evidence - based recommendations, which serve as a reference for breast cancer patients in decision-making and self-management.