Health economics evidence plays an important role in linking clinical value evidence with health resource allocation decisions in the development of clinical practice guidelines. It can not only effectively balance clinical effectiveness and economic feasibility but also avoid forming "idealized" recommendations that are detached from the affordability of the healthcare system or the burden-bearing capacity of patients. To promote guideline developers to use health economics evidence more standardizedly and fully, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the current application status, existing challenges, access channels, and application processes of health economics evidence in current guidelines, and on this basis, puts forward considerations and suggestions for strengthening and standardizing the application of health economics evidence in China's clinical practice guidelines.
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To investigate the methodological issues related to the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations of 2019 Chinese clinical practice guidelines (hereafter referred to as "guidelines") published in journals, so as to provide reference for standardization of recommendations.
We searched and analyzed information on Chinese guidelines published in 2019, evaluated the quality of evidence, and graded the strength of recommendations. Information on grading methods, grading descriptions, phrases for the quality of evidence, and the strength of recommendation was extracted.
A total of 226 Chinese clinical practice guidelines were published in journals in 2019, of which 106 guidelines (87 Chinese guidelines, 19 English guidelines) were included in this study. There were 18 grading methods adopted, with the GRADE(Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system being the most used(35.8%, 38/106). A total of 6 grading descriptions were used; the most frequently used symbol for grading the quality of evidence was letters (39.6%, 42/106); the most frequently used symbol for grading the strength of recommendations was text (34.9%, 37/106). The most common word used in the guidelines to describe the recommended strength was "may". Among the 38 guidelines that used the GRADE system, only 15 followed the presentation recommended by the GRADE working group. There were 250 clearly graded recommendations included, with 60.4% (151/250) being strong recommendations and 44.8% (112/250) citing low or very low-quality evidence. There were 96 recommendations(38.4%, 96/250) that were supported by systematic reviews.
Chinese guidelines published in journals in 2019 that used the grading system accounts for a small proportion compared with those that did not use. And the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations used in guidelines remains incomplete, inconsistent and irregular. The GRADE system is underused. Very few guidelines present grading criteria and details in accordance with the requirements of the GRADE Working Group.We recommend the use of the GRADE system to promote the rigorous, transparent and rational development of guideline recommendations.
The importance of consensus research in medical decision-making has become increasinglyprominent. However, this field has long lacked unified terminology definitions and reporting standards, leading to significant heterogeneity in study design, implementation, and result presentation that affects the credibility and reproducibility of outcomes. The ACCurate COnsensus Reporting Document (ACCORD) in the field of biomedical research provides a structured writing framework for various consensus methods such as the Delphi method and nominal group technique, aiming to enhance the completeness and transparency of study reports. Combined with specific cases, this article interprets the core items of ACCORD, offering references for the design, implementation, and reporting of high-quality consensus research in China.
To systematically analyzed the reporting status of core elements in publicly available clinical practice guideline(hereafter referred to as "guideline") protocols published domestically and internationally over the past decade, identified existing problems, and provided evidence to inform the standardized writing and publication of future guideline protocols.
A systematic search was conducted in Chinese and English databases for clinical practice guideline protocols published during the past ten years. The basic characteristics and reporting of core elements—including registration information, conflict of interest management, evidence grading, development process and timeline planning, as well as dissemination and implementation—were extracted and analyzed. Chi-square tests were performed to explore associations between protocol characteristics and the reporting of core elements.
A total of 94 guideline protocols were included, of which 67 were in Chinese(71.28%) and 27 were in English(28.72%). Overall, 82.98% of the guideline protocols were registered, 92.55% reported management of conflicts of interest, 97.87% reported evidence searching, 88.30% reported evidence grading, and 89.36% described dissemination and implementation strategies. However, only 55.32% reported the guideline development process, and merely 23.40% reported timeline planning. Further analysis indicated that the reporting of registration, evidence searching, development process, and timeline planning was associated with year of publication. Differences were observed between domestic and international guidelines in reporting registration, conflict of interest management, development process, time planning, and dissemination and implementation. Guidelines intended for development exhibited higher reporting rates for registration, development process, and dissemination and implementation compared to those planned for updating or adaptation.
Although current guideline protocols demonstrate relatively adequate reporting of methodological elements, deficiencies remain in development process and timeline planning. Future efforts should focus on promoting the publication and standardized reporting of guideline protocols, enhancing the international recognition of registration platforms, and strengthening the development process and timeline planning to advance the scientific rigor and transparency of guideline development.
The real-time Delphi method represents a refinement of the classical Delphi technique, designed to overcome limitations such as prolonged study duration and delayed feedback during consensus development. This article, building upon the classical Delphi foundation, systematically elaborates on the application process, advantages, and limitations of the real-time Delphi method. It further presents currently available websites or software capable of facilitating real-time Delphi exercises and offers considerations and recommendations for its application in guideline development, aiming to serve as a reference for relevant researchers.
To explore the role of the "Clinical Practice Guidelines" column and others in the Medical Joumnal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Med J PUMCH) in promoting diseiplinary development.
We collected papers published by the Lanzhou University Evidence-Based Medicine Center team in the "Clinical Practice Guidelines" column and others from 2018 to 2025. These publications were analyzed across multiple dimensions, including authorship and institutional affiliations, citation metrics, and research themes and content.
A total of 59 papers were included in the analysis, with authors representing 70 domestie and international research institutions. The cumulative citation count was 639, with the highest single-paper citation frequency reaching 101. The average citation per paper was 10.8, and total downloads exceeded 30 000. The content focused on key themes such as guideline terminology, development methodology, guideline evaluation, and dissemination and implementation. The evolution of research topics progressed from critiques of common misconceptions and hot topies in the field to multidimensional evaluations of thecurrent state of Chinese guidelines, culminating in the fommulation of industry standards for guidelines. These contributions have provided critical references for translating guideline theory into practice in China and have garnered widespread attention and discussion among scholars in the field.
The "Clinical Practice Guidelines" column and others in the Med J PUMCH has not only demonstrated substantial academic influence but has also played a pivotal role in advancing the discipline.
To sort, summarize, and introduce key terms related to guideline reporting, evaluation, dissemination, implementation, and updating.
We systematically searched guideline development manuals and methodological literature from database inception to October 25, 2024. Terms related to guideline reporting, updating, evaluation, and implementation were extracted, standardized, and finalized through a structured consensus process.
A total of 13 guideline manuals and 32 methodological articles were included, yielding 14 core terms with standardized definitions.
This article introduces key terms such as reporting standards, external review, and research gaps across guideline development phases to promote concept application and deepen readers' understanding of guideline development.
To introduce and analyze guideline terminology related to clinical question formulation, evidence retrieval and appraisal, and recommendation development.
A systematic search was conducted in guideline development manuals and relevant methodological literature, covering publications up to October 25, 2024. Terminology related to the three aforementioned stages of related to guideline development was extracted from the included literature, standardized, and refined through consensus meetings to finalize a comprehensive terminology list and definitions.
A total of 30 guideline development manuals and 15 methodological articles were included, and 23 core terms were identified.
It is recommended to develop a standardized and scientifically sound guideline terminology system with unified naming, clear definitions, and alignment with the linguistic environment and usage habits in China. At the same time, it is essential to strengthen terminology training for both guideline developers and users based on this system, in order to deepen their correct understanding and proper application of guideline terminology.
Diagnostic criteria, as a critical component of clinical practice guidelines, play a direct role in guiding clinicians' diagnostic and treatment decisions. Although China has increasingly emphasized the development and updating of clinical guidelines in recent years, research focusing on the diagnostic criteria within these guidelines remains limited. This paper aims to explore the types of diagnostic criteria, the issues they present, and the processes involved in their formulation. Based on this analysis, suggestions are proposed to improve the recommendation and application of diagnostic criteria in Chinese guidelines.
Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) refers to AI technology capable of generating new content such as text, images, or audio from training data. GAI tools not only demonstrate rapid and efficient potential in literature screening, data extraction, and literature appraisal in systematic reviews, but can also be used for guideline evaluation and dissemination, enhancing the readability and promotion efficiency of guidelines. However, the accuracy of content generated by GAI tools, the rationality of cited evidence, the level of evidence, and the reliability of data still need verification. Additionally, data privacy protection and ethical issues are challenges that need to be addressed. This article aims to overview the current status of GAI tools in the formulation, evaluation, dissemination, and implementation of guidelines, explore the feasibility and new models of GAI tools in the field of guidelines, and improve the efficiency and quality of guideline formulation to better serve guideline developers and users.
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