Quality of pediatric clinical practice guidelines

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Clinical Practice Guidelines

Background:

• A comprehensive evaluation of recent pediatric clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is lacking.
• Assessing the quality of pediatric CPGs and identifying factors influencing their quality is crucial.
• The study aims to foster more consistent development and application of CPGs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of pediatric clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) published between 2017 and 2019.
• To identify factors that impact the quality of these pediatric CPGs.
• To promote improved development and application of CPGs in pediatric care.

Main Methods:

• Searched PubMed, MedLive, and other key databases for pediatric CPGs from 2017-2019.
• Utilized the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument for quality assessment.
• Employed linear regression analysis to determine factors influencing CPG quality.

Main Results:

• 216 pediatric CPGs were assessed, achieving a mean AGREE II score of 60.86%.
• Only 6.48% of CPGs met the "recommend" level; many required modification or were inadequate.
• Lower quality was associated with guidelines from developing regions, lack of organizational responsibility, and non-evidence-based methods.

Conclusions:

• The overall quality of pediatric CPGs has improved but requires further enhancement.
• Specific attention to "applicability" and "rigor of development" domains is necessary.
• Implementing quality control before CPG application is essential for ensuring quality and usability.