Establishing the Guidelines for Recommendation Reporting (G-RECO): a study protocol for developing reporting...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Clinical Practice Guidelines

Background:

• Lack of standardization in recommendation reports hinders scientific accuracy and practical applicability.
• Existing guidelines require enhancement for public health contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop the Guidelines for Recommendation Reporting (G-RECO) for the Public Health Weekly Report (PHWR) in Korea.
• To improve standardization, scientific accuracy, and practical applicability of recommendation reports.

Main Methods:

• Adherence to EQUATOR Network standards.
• Formation of a multidisciplinary research committee.
• Literature review, analysis of existing guidelines, and development of a 21-item G-RECO framework with Explanation & Elaboration documents.
• Rigorous internal and external expert revisions and evaluations.

Main Results:

• Development of a detailed G-RECO checklist and accompanying Explanation & Elaboration documents by November 2023.
• The tools are designed to guide authors in clear and consistent reporting of recommendations.
• Finalization and publication of the checklist and E&E documents are anticipated by December 2024.

Conclusions:

• G-RECO guidelines advance the formalization and standardization of recommendation reports for the PHWR.
• Expected to improve research quality in clinical practice guidelines and public health publications.
• Will serve as an invaluable resource for researchers, editors, and peer reviewers in public health and epidemiology.