Quality Appraisal of Clinical Guidelines in Obstetrics and Gynecology in India

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DOI: 10.4236/ojog.2019.910137    718 Downloads   1,697 Views  Citations
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ABSTRACT

Background: Clinical practice guidelines are important for standard of care. This study was undertaken to assess the quality of Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines in India. Objective Systematic appraisal of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) in obstetrics and gynecology in India uses Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument. Methods: All reported Indian guidelines in obstetrics and gynecology from 1st Jan. 2000 to 1st April 2018 were identified and subjected to inclusion using 3-point assessment criteria (relevance, clarity of intervention/outcome, and appropriate use of healthcare resources) using WHO AGREE-II instrument. Separate scores for the mean item, domain, and standardized were calculated by averaging the scores across two appraisers. Results & Discussion: Of 47 Clinical Practice Guidelines in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CPG) from India, 8 met the inclusion criteria. These were assessed using AGREE II checklist. Overall scores ranged from 8% to 22% (median 5%). No guideline received Yes for clinical use by either of the appraisers. Scores for scope and purpose and clarity were high but were very low for all the other domains. Only 1 review had identified cost as one of the focus areas as part of the guideline. Conclusion: Though being clinically relevant the clinical practice guidelines related to obstetrics and gynecology in India score poorly. There is a need for sensitization and capacity building of clinicians and public health professionals on the development of CPG related to obstetrics and gynecology in India.

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Radhika, A. and John, D. (2019) Quality Appraisal of Clinical Guidelines in Obstetrics and Gynecology in India. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 9, 1419-1428. doi: 10.4236/ojog.2019.910137.

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