National Priority Setting of Clinical Practice Guidelines Development for Chronic Disease Management.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Informatics
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• South Korea has developed 125 clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) by November 2013.
• Despite the high burden of chronic diseases, a significant gap exists in available CPGs, with only 83 related to chronic conditions.
• The rapid advancement of medical evidence and increasing chronic disease prevalence necessitate urgent CPG development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize chronic diseases for CPG development in Korea.
• To inform resource allocation for CPG creation within a limited funding framework.
• To address the growing need for evidence-based guidelines for prevalent chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Employed the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for objective assessment of disease prioritization.
• Conducted a subjective assessment through a survey of expert opinions.
• Combined objective and subjective methods to establish CPG development priorities.

Main Results:

• High priority was assigned to ischemic heart disease for CPG development.
• Cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and osteoarthritis were identified as key areas for CPGs.
• Neck pain, chronic kidney disease, and cirrhosis of the liver also emerged as high-priority chronic diseases for guideline development.

Conclusions:

• A systematic approach combining objective and subjective assessments is effective for prioritizing CPG development.
• Ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, and Alzheimer's disease represent critical areas requiring immediate attention for CPGs in Korea.
• Prioritization ensures efficient allocation of resources to address the most pressing chronic disease guideline needs.