Article type
Abstract
"Background
Nosocomial infections in healthcare impose a heavy and potentially life-threatening burden on patients and can inflate healthcare expenditures. The Dutch Collaborative Partnership (https://www.sri-richtlijnen.nl/) for infection, prevention and control (IPC) guidelines has been established to develop evidence-based guidelines and recommendations to minimize the impact of nosocomial infections in hospitals, long-term care, and public health settings.
Objective
To perform an evaluation among stakeholders on evidence-based guideline development to gain valuable insights into the feasibility of the current development process.
Methods
All guideline panel members who participated in IPC guideline development in 2021 and 2022 were asked to complete a questionnaire. Data was collected on expectations prior to participation, experienced workload, satisfaction with composition of the guideline panel, satisfaction with the guideline development process, satisfaction with generic or domain specific (hospitals, long-term care, or public health) guidelines, and implementation.
Results
In total, 80/177 (45%) members of 17 guideline panels completed the questionnaire. Expectations were clear to 46 (57%) members prior to joining the development process. Thirty-two (40%) members found time-investment not in line with expectations, of whom 27 reported it was higher than expected. Screening and selection of literature caused a high workload experience. Seventy (88%) members said their association/organisation was represented sufficiently in the panel, and 69 (86%) said there was sufficient IPC knowledge. However, 25 (31%) members reported that GRADE is not a suitable method to grade available evidence, although none could suggest an alternative. Twenty-four (30%) members reported that generic guidelines align insufficiently with all healthcare domains (hospital settings, long-term care, and public health). Moreover, 32 (40%) members reported a need for translation of generic guidelines into additional guidelines and/or protocols.
Conclusions
Overall, a large proportion of respondents reported the need for translation of generic guidelines into domain specific guidelines and/or protocols and better methods for the grading of evidence. Therefore, further research should focus on improving methods for grading evidence and the development of IPC guidelines across healthcare domains, to lower the risk of nosocomial infections, and thereby minimizing unnecessary and unfeasible costs in health care. "
Nosocomial infections in healthcare impose a heavy and potentially life-threatening burden on patients and can inflate healthcare expenditures. The Dutch Collaborative Partnership (https://www.sri-richtlijnen.nl/) for infection, prevention and control (IPC) guidelines has been established to develop evidence-based guidelines and recommendations to minimize the impact of nosocomial infections in hospitals, long-term care, and public health settings.
Objective
To perform an evaluation among stakeholders on evidence-based guideline development to gain valuable insights into the feasibility of the current development process.
Methods
All guideline panel members who participated in IPC guideline development in 2021 and 2022 were asked to complete a questionnaire. Data was collected on expectations prior to participation, experienced workload, satisfaction with composition of the guideline panel, satisfaction with the guideline development process, satisfaction with generic or domain specific (hospitals, long-term care, or public health) guidelines, and implementation.
Results
In total, 80/177 (45%) members of 17 guideline panels completed the questionnaire. Expectations were clear to 46 (57%) members prior to joining the development process. Thirty-two (40%) members found time-investment not in line with expectations, of whom 27 reported it was higher than expected. Screening and selection of literature caused a high workload experience. Seventy (88%) members said their association/organisation was represented sufficiently in the panel, and 69 (86%) said there was sufficient IPC knowledge. However, 25 (31%) members reported that GRADE is not a suitable method to grade available evidence, although none could suggest an alternative. Twenty-four (30%) members reported that generic guidelines align insufficiently with all healthcare domains (hospital settings, long-term care, and public health). Moreover, 32 (40%) members reported a need for translation of generic guidelines into additional guidelines and/or protocols.
Conclusions
Overall, a large proportion of respondents reported the need for translation of generic guidelines into domain specific guidelines and/or protocols and better methods for the grading of evidence. Therefore, further research should focus on improving methods for grading evidence and the development of IPC guidelines across healthcare domains, to lower the risk of nosocomial infections, and thereby minimizing unnecessary and unfeasible costs in health care. "