Stavros A Antoniou1,2, Sofia Tsokani3,4, Dimitrios Mavridis4, Manuel López-Cano5, George A Antoniou6,7, Dimitrios Stefanidis8, Nader K Francis9, Neil Smart1,2, Filip E Muysoms10, Salvador Morales-Conde11, Hendrik Jaap Bonjer12, Melissa C Brouwers13. 1. Department of Colorectal Surgery, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, United Kingdom. 2. Exeter Surgical Health Services Research Unit, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, United Kingdom. 3. Department of Mathematics, School of Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 4. Department of Primary Education, School of Education, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 5. Abdominal Wall Surgery Unit, Department of General Surgery, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 6. Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom. 7. Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom. 8. Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN. 9. Department of General Surgery, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Higher Kingston, Yeovil, United Kingdom. 10. Department of Surgery, Maria Middelares Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. 11. Unit of Innovation in Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Hospital Virgen del Rocio, Sevilla, Spain. 12. Department of General Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 13. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify clinical practice guidelines published by surgical scientific organizations, assess their quality, and investigate the association between defined factors and quality. The ultimate objective was to develop a framework to improve the quality of surgical guidelines. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Evidence on the quality of surgical guidelines is lacking. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE for clinical practice guidelines published by surgical scientific organizations with an international scope between 2008 and 2017. We investigated the association between the following factors and guideline quality, as assessed using the AGREE II instrument: number of guidelines published within the study period by a scientific organization, the presence of a guidelines committee, applying the GRADE methodology, consensus project design, and the presence of intersociety collaboration. RESULTS: Ten surgical scientific organizations developed 67 guidelines over the study period. The median overall score using AGREE II tool was 4 out of a maximum of 7, whereas 27 (40%) guidelines were not considered suitable for use. Guidelines produced by a scientific organization with an output of ≥9 guidelines over the study period [odds ratio (OR) 3.79, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-12.66, P = 0.048], the presence of a guidelines committee (OR 4.15, 95% CI, 1.47-11.77, P = 0.007), and applying the GRADE methodology (OR 8.17, 95% CI, 2.54-26.29, P < 0.0001) were associated with higher odds of being recommended for use. CONCLUSIONS: Development by a guidelines committee, routine guideline output, and adhering to the GRADE methodology were found to be associated with higher guideline quality in the field of surgery.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify clinical practice guidelines published by surgical scientific organizations, assess their quality, and investigate the association between defined factors and quality. The ultimate objective was to develop a framework to improve the quality of surgical guidelines. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Evidence on the quality of surgical guidelines is lacking. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE for clinical practice guidelines published by surgical scientific organizations with an international scope between 2008 and 2017. We investigated the association between the following factors and guideline quality, as assessed using the AGREE II instrument: number of guidelines published within the study period by a scientific organization, the presence of a guidelines committee, applying the GRADE methodology, consensus project design, and the presence of intersociety collaboration. RESULTS: Ten surgical scientific organizations developed 67 guidelines over the study period. The median overall score using AGREE II tool was 4 out of a maximum of 7, whereas 27 (40%) guidelines were not considered suitable for use. Guidelines produced by a scientific organization with an output of ≥9 guidelines over the study period [odds ratio (OR) 3.79, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-12.66, P = 0.048], the presence of a guidelines committee (OR 4.15, 95% CI, 1.47-11.77, P = 0.007), and applying the GRADE methodology (OR 8.17, 95% CI, 2.54-26.29, P < 0.0001) were associated with higher odds of being recommended for use. CONCLUSIONS: Development by a guidelines committee, routine guideline output, and adhering to the GRADE methodology were found to be associated with higher guideline quality in the field of surgery.
Authors: Sofia Tsokani; Stavros A Antoniou; Irini Moustaki; Manuel López-Cano; George A Antoniou; Ivan D Flórez; Gianfranco Silecchia; Sheraz Markar; Dimitrios Stefanidis; Giovanni Zanninotto; Nader K Francis; George H Hanna; Salvador Morales-Conde; Hendrik Jaap Bonjer; Melissa C Brouwers; Dimitrios Mavridis Journal: Surg Endosc Date: 2021-06-22 Impact factor: 4.584
Authors: Stavros A Antoniou; Ivan D Florez; Sheraz Markar; Patricia Logullo; Manuel López-Cano; Gianfranco Silecchia; George A Antoniou; Sofia Tsokani; Dimitrios Mavridis; Melissa Brouwers Journal: Surg Endosc Date: 2022-06-15 Impact factor: 3.453
Authors: Patricia Logullo; Ivan D Florez; George A Antoniou; Sheraz Markar; Manuel López-Cano; Gianfranco Silecchia; Sofia Tsokani; Dimitrios Mavridis; Melissa Brouwers; Stavros A Antoniou Journal: United European Gastroenterol J Date: 2022-05-04 Impact factor: 6.866
Authors: George A Antoniou; Dimitris Mavridis; Sofia Tsokani; Manuel López-Cano; Iván D Flórez; Melissa Brouwers; Sheraz R Markar; Gianfranco Silecchia; Nader K Francis; Stavros A Antoniou Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2020-08-11 Impact factor: 2.692