Colorectal cancer guidelines seldom include the patient perspective.

Area of Science:

• Medical Guidelines
• Oncology
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Colorectal cancer practice guidelines (PGs) are crucial for clinical decision-making.
• Incorporating the patient perspective is essential for patient-centered care.
• The extent to which patient perspectives are included in colorectal PGs is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the incorporation of patient perspectives in colorectal cancer practice guidelines.
• To identify factors associated with the inclusion of patient perspectives in PGs.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of major guideline databases for colorectal cancer PGs.
• Independent selection and evaluation of PGs by two authors.
• Identification of potentially preference-sensitive recommendations and assessment of patient perspective incorporation.

Main Results:

• 28 colorectal cancer PGs with 588 recommendations were analyzed.
• Only 9.7% of potentially preference-sensitive recommendations incorporated the patient perspective.
• Inclusion of patients in guideline development was significantly associated with better incorporation of patient perspectives (70% vs. 0%).

Conclusions:

• The incorporation of patient perspectives in colorectal cancer PGs is currently suboptimal.
• Guideline developers should actively involve patients, particularly in developing preference-sensitive recommendations.
• Improving patient perspective integration can enhance the relevance and applicability of clinical guidelines.