Article type
Abstract
"Background: Clinical practice guidelines formulate recommendations in most situations during the development process, but in some cases they also formulate good practice statements (GPS). However, no study has analyzed the current status of GPS in Chinese guidelines.
Objectives: To analyze the current usage of GPS in Chinese guidelines published in 2022, and to propose targeted recommendations.
Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI and other Chinese database using the search terms ""guideline*"", ""recommendation*"", etc. The search period was from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022, and two persons independently screened the retrieved records. We included guideline that was (1) developed by a Chinese institution or led by a Chinese scholar and (2) used ""Good practice statements"". GPS related information was extracted using Microsoft Execl and analyzed it descriptively.
Results: 18 guidelines out of 334 Chinese guidelines mentioned GPS, of which six cited relevant references. 14 guidelines actually presented 1～27 GPS respectively, and four guidelines did not formulate GPS. 12 guidelines presented GPS in the methodology section of the guidelines as a category of strength of recommendation (SoR), one guideline presented it as a category of quality of evidence (QoE), and five guidelines presented it in separate section other than SoR and QoE sections. In terms of presentation, six guidelines are presented in the form of ""......(GPS)"", three guidelines ""......(SoR: GPS)"", two guidelines ""......(QoE: GPS)"", and three guidelines ""......(GRADE grading: GPS)"" or ""...text...(SoR and QoE: GPS)"".
Conclusions and recommendations: Chinese guidelines used GPS infrequently. Most of the guidelines that used GPS misused it and incorrectly considered it as a category of SoR or QoE. It is recommended that Chinese guideline developers (1) clarify the conditions for the use of GPS; (2) distinguish GPS and recommendations; and (3) avoid grading GPS.
Statement: Public or consumers were not involved in this study."
Objectives: To analyze the current usage of GPS in Chinese guidelines published in 2022, and to propose targeted recommendations.
Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI and other Chinese database using the search terms ""guideline*"", ""recommendation*"", etc. The search period was from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022, and two persons independently screened the retrieved records. We included guideline that was (1) developed by a Chinese institution or led by a Chinese scholar and (2) used ""Good practice statements"". GPS related information was extracted using Microsoft Execl and analyzed it descriptively.
Results: 18 guidelines out of 334 Chinese guidelines mentioned GPS, of which six cited relevant references. 14 guidelines actually presented 1～27 GPS respectively, and four guidelines did not formulate GPS. 12 guidelines presented GPS in the methodology section of the guidelines as a category of strength of recommendation (SoR), one guideline presented it as a category of quality of evidence (QoE), and five guidelines presented it in separate section other than SoR and QoE sections. In terms of presentation, six guidelines are presented in the form of ""......(GPS)"", three guidelines ""......(SoR: GPS)"", two guidelines ""......(QoE: GPS)"", and three guidelines ""......(GRADE grading: GPS)"" or ""...text...(SoR and QoE: GPS)"".
Conclusions and recommendations: Chinese guidelines used GPS infrequently. Most of the guidelines that used GPS misused it and incorrectly considered it as a category of SoR or QoE. It is recommended that Chinese guideline developers (1) clarify the conditions for the use of GPS; (2) distinguish GPS and recommendations; and (3) avoid grading GPS.
Statement: Public or consumers were not involved in this study."