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Quality of evidence-based pediatric guidelines
Nicole Boluyt1, Carsten R Lincke, Martin Offringa
1Department of Pediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. n.boluyt@amc.uva.nl
Pediatrics
|May 4, 2005
Summary
This study identified 215 evidence-based pediatric guidelines and assessed their quality using the AGREE instrument. While overall scores were favorable, stakeholder involvement and rigor of development require improvement for better pediatric guideline quality.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Health Policy
- Clinical Practice Guidelines
Background:
- A large number of evidence-based pediatric guidelines are available.
- Assessing the quality of these guidelines is crucial for effective clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify evidence-based pediatric guidelines.
- To evaluate the quality of these guidelines using a standardized instrument.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive search identified 215 pediatric guidelines.
- Pediatricians prioritized 10 key topics for guideline development.
- The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument was used to assess guideline quality.
Main Results:
- Seventeen guidelines on the top 10 topics were appraised.
- Mean AGREE scores varied significantly across domains, with low scores for stakeholder involvement (42%) and rigor of development (54%).
- Applicability (19%) and editorial independence (40%) showed particularly poor performance, often due to inadequate reporting.
Conclusions:
- Despite some areas for improvement, 82% of appraised guidelines were recommended for practice.
- Pediatric guidelines generally scored well compared to non-pediatric fields.
- Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics or registered in the National Guideline Clearinghouse performed particularly well.