Expectations of guideline developers on living guidelines

Abstract

Guidelines are central pillars of high-quality care and care planning. The quality requirements for the development of guidelines and the associated effort are very high. Therefore, more efficient approaches are being forced. The opportunities and challenges in the introduction of a dynamic updating concept within the framework of the digitalization of guidelines were explored from the perspective of guideline developers in the field of psychiatry. This perspective should be included in the implementation. Between January and May 2022 across-sectional survey was conducted among guideline developers (N = 561, response 39%) based on aquestionnaire developed and tested in advance. Data were analyzed descriptively. A total of 60% were familiar with the concept of living guidelines. Alarge proportion endorsed adynamic updating (83%) and digitalization (88%) of guidelines; however, various challenges are associated with the concept of living guidelines: the risk of inflationary changes (34%), the need for continuity of all actors (53%), involvement of patient and family representatives (37%) and definition of criteria regarding the decision what to change (38%). The vast majority (85%) thought it necessary that guideline development should be followed by implementation projects. German guideline developers are very receptive regarding the implementation of living guidelines; however, they named numerous challenges, which need to be addressed in this approach.