Reporting quality evaluation of the stroke clinical practice guidelines: a systematic review

Shuya Lu,Yefeng Cai,Yaolong Chen,Mengjuan Ren,Xufei Luo,Haoxuan Li,Xiaojia Ni,Yunlan Liu,Miaomiao Meng,Yanrui Sun

doi:10.1186/s13643-021-01805-3

Abstract

ObjectivesTo analyze the effectiveness and quality of stroke clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) published in recent years in order to guide future guideline developers to develop better guidelines.ParticipantsNo patient involvedMethodPubMed, China Biology Medicine (CBM), Wanfang, CNKI, and CPG-relevant websites were searched from January 2015 to December 2019 by two researchers independently. The RIGHT (Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare) checklist was used to assess the reporting quality in terms of domains and items. Then, a subgroup analysis of the results was performed.Primary and secondary outcome measuresRIGHT checklist reporting rateResultsA total of 66 CPGs were included. Twice as many CPGs were published internationally as were published in China. More than half were updated. Most CPGs are published in journals, developed by societies or associations, and were evidence-based grading. The average reporting rate for all included CPGs was 47.6%. Basic information got the highest (71.7% ± 19.7%) reporting rate, while review and quality assurance got the lowest (22.0% ± 24.6%). Then, a cluster analysis between countries, publishing channels, and institutions was performed. There were no statistically significant differences in the reporting quality on the CPGs between publishing countries (China vs. international), publishing channels (journals vs. websites), and institutions (associations vs. non-associations).ConclusionsCurrent stroke CPGs reports are of low quality. We recommend that guideline developers improve the quality of reporting of key information and improve the management of conflicts of interest. We recommend that guideline developers consider the RIGHT checklist as an important tool for guideline development.Trial registrationhttps://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PBWUX.

Highlights

Stroke, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, is a common and serious global health care problem, the second leading cause of death worldwide [1], and one of the leading causes of death and disability in China [2]
Current stroke clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) reports are of low quality
We recommend that guideline developers consider the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) checklist as an important tool for guideline development

Summary

Introduction

Stroke, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, is a common and serious global health care problem, the second leading cause of death worldwide [1], and one of the leading causes of death and disability in China [2]. The cost of treating stroke places a heavy mental and economic burden on countries and families [7, 8], which is expected to increase further due to an aging population; persistent risk factors, such as high blood pressure; and poor management. A study published in The Lancet shows that stroke prevalence in rural China increased sharply between 2003 and 2013 [5]. High-quality guidelines can better guide clinical practice. Primary medical institutions lack clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to provide scientific and effective services to stroke patients. There is an urgent need to standardize the reporting quality of CPGs for stroke

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