Engaging policymakers in the development of clinical practice guidelines: a global survey of current practice in...

Implementation of clinical practice guidelines (guidelines) is enhanced by engaging stakeholders during guideline development. While policymakers are recognized as key stakeholders in guideline development, the current literature provides little description of the nature of their involvement. The aim of this paper was to explore how policymakers are currently engaged in guideline development, the barriers and facilitators to their engagement, and the perceived impacts of engagement.

This study used a global online survey with guideline developers who engaged with policymakers during guideline development. The survey explored the activities of policymaker engagement and participants' experiences surrounding it through open- and closed-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed with simple descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically.

The study received 31 responses. Respondents engaged with policymakers across guideline development activities, including in funding, planning and development, endorsement, updating, and dissemination. Many participants engaged policymakers for multiple reasons, including to ensure policy alignment, support dissemination, and obtain funding. Most participants reported that engagement had a moderate to very large impact on the guideline. Challenges included identifying and engaging policymakers and managing expectations about guideline processes and methods. Enablers included aligning priorities, ensuring feasibility, and establishing early and clear processes for communication and decision-making.

Guideline developers, globally, engage policymakers in guideline development. Policymaker engagement is most effective when it is timely and built on shared priorities and expectations between guideline developers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. These findings highlight the need for formal advice to support flexible and meaningful engagement with policymakers.

Involving different interest holders, including policymakers, helps improve clinical practice guidelines. However, we don't know how policymakers are currently involved in this process. This paper aims to explore how policymakers are engaged during guideline development, what helps or hinders their participation, and how their involvement affects the guidelines. This study used an online survey for guideline developers who worked with policymakers. The survey asked about their experiences with engaging policymakers. We received 31 responses from people who are involved in guideline development internationally. Participants worked with policymakers in various activities, including funding, planning, creating, approving, updating, and sharing the guidelines. Many developers involved policymakers to ensure that their guidelines fit with policies, help share information, and secure funding. Most developers reported that involving policymakers had a substantial impact on the guidelines. Participants faced challenges in finding and engaging the right policymakers and managing their expectations about the development process. Successful engagement often came from aligning goals, ensuring the guidelines were practical, and setting clear communication and decision-making processes early on. Guideline developers worldwide are including policymakers in their work. The most effective engagement happens when it is timely and based on shared goals and clear expectations among all involved. This study highlights the need for formal guidance to support meaningful and flexible engagement with policymakers.