Guidelines in lower-middle income countries

Comparative global analysis of stroke rehabilitation recommendations across income levels

OBJECTIVE

Successful implementation of stroke rehabilitation guidelines demands high-quality practice standards tailored to targeted sociodemographic contexts. The primary objective is to determine the quality differences in post-stroke rehabilitation practice guidelines (PGs), when comparing high-income countries (HIC) and low or middle-income countries (LMIC).

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

We conducted a scoping review of PGs in English or Spanish, published between 2012 and 2021, and providing recommendations on post-stroke rehabilitation. We used Search engines, databases, guideline libraries, gray literature, and references from previous reviews on post-stroke rehabilitation as sources of evidence. Quality assessment of PGs was performed using 6P's, ELSE, IOM, and AGREE II instruments. We evaluated each item using a scale between 0 to 3, based on the confidence of adherence to the standard. For AGREE II, we followed the instruction manual for scoring. At least two reviewers were independently involved in every step of the process. A cloud-based spreadsheet was used to chart data. We compared the results of PGs originating from HIC with those from LMIC.

RESULTS

The inclusion criteria were met by 35 documents, which were subjected to evaluation. The study included 21 documents from HIC and 14 from middle-income countries (MIC). No manuscripts from low-income countries were available for inclusion in the study. The quality of PGs from MIC was found to be lower, in terms of methodological rigor and adherence to international recommendations for guidelines development. PGs from both groups of countries failed to include all target audiences and stakeholders (according to the 6P's criteria) and integration of ethical, legal, social, and economic considerations.

CONCLUSION

There are gaps in the quality and availability of stroke rehabilitation guidelines worldwide, especially in LMIC. Designing and providing financial support for the implementation of high-quality guidelines will contribute to more effective implementation strategies in stroke rehabilitation programs and lead to improved patient outcomes.

Field based research in the era of the pandemic in resource limited settings: challenges and lessons for the future

The coronavirus pandemic that began in December 2019, has had an unprecedented impact on the global economy, health systems and infrastructure, in addition to being responsible for significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. The "new normal" has brought along, unforeseen challenges for the scientific community, owing to obstructions in conducting field-based research in lieu of minimizing exposure through in-person contact. This has had greater ramifications for the LMICs, adding to the already existing concerns. As a response to COVID-19 related movement restrictions, public health researchers across countries had to switch to remote data collections methods. However, impediments like lack of awareness and skepticism among participants, dependence on paper-based prescriptions, dearth of digitized patient records, gaps in connectivity, reliance on smart phones, concerns with participant privacy at home and greater loss to follow-up act as hurdles to carrying out a research study virtually, especially in resource-limited settings. Promoting health literacy through science communication, ensuring digitization of health records in hospitals, and employing measures to encourage research participation among the general public are some steps to tackle barriers to remote research in the long term. COVID-19 may not be a health emergency anymore, but we are not immune to future pandemics. A more holistic approach to research by turning obstacles into opportunities will not just ensure a more comprehensive public health response in the coming time, but also bolster the existing infrastructure for a stronger healthcare system for countries.

Pelvic floor therapy program for the treatment of female urinary incontinence in Belize: a pilot study

Introduction

Urinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Concurrently, the availability of surgical or conservative UI treatments in LMIC is limited.

Methods

We conducted a prospective feasibility study of Belize women with UI treated with pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) and education (PFE). Patients received individual PFPT/PFE over 2 days, consisting of biofeedback-enhanced PFMT in addition to behavioral, dietary, and general pelvic education. Patient completed a daily 6-month home regimen including 7 PFMT exercises (total 70 repetitions) comprising both endurance and quick flick exercises. Patients also performed comprehensive dietary and behavioral modification activities. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6-months, including validated symptom (ICIQ-FLUTS) and QOL (IIQ-7) questionnaires, and strength testing (PERFECT score, perineometry).

Results

Twenty-eight patients underwent baseline assessment. Four patients were lost to in-person 6-month follow-up, with two of these patients completing subjective assessment only by telephone. The mean (±SD) patient age, BMI, and parity were 50.0 (±10.0) years, 33.2 (±5.8), and 2.8 (±1.5). Provider assessment demonstrated patient comprehension of basic, endurance, and quick flick pelvic floor contractions in 28 (100%), 24 (86%), and 24 (86%) patients, respectively. At 6-month follow-up, significant improvements were seen across multiple validated questionnaire and strength measurement assessments. Median patient-reported improvement level was 7.0 on a 10-point Likert scale.

Discussion

Study patients demonstrated good understanding of PFMT/PFE and program completion was associated with significant improvements across a variety of subjective incontinence and quality of life outcomes, as well as objective strength testing.

Adherence to evidence-based implementation of antimicrobial treatment guidelines among prescribers in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Adherence to evidence-based standard treatment guidelines (STGs) enable healthcare providers to deliver consistently appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Irrational use of antimicrobials significantly contributes to antimicrobial resistance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).  The best available evidence is needed to guide healthcare providers on adherence to evidence-based implementation of STGs. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of adherence to evidence-based implementation of antimicrobial treatment guidelines among prescribers in SSA.

METHODS

The review followed the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of prevalence data. CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched with no language and publication year limitations. STATA version 17 were used for meta-analysis. The publication bias and heterogeneity were assessed using Egger's test and the I2 statistics. Heterogeneity and publication bias were validated using Duval and Tweedie's nonparametric trim and fill analysis using the random-effect analysis. The summary prevalence and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of healthcare professionals' compliance with evidence-based implementation of STG were estimated using random effect model. The review protocol has been registered with PROSPERO code CRD42023389011. The PRISMA flow diagram and checklist were used to report studies included, excluded and their corresponding section in the manuscript.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies with a total of 17,017 study participants from 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were included. The pooled prevalence of adherence to evidence-based implementation of antimicrobial treatment guidelines in SSA were 45%. The pooled prevalence of the most common clinical indications were respiratory tract (35%) and gastrointestinal infections (18%). Overall prescriptions per wards were inpatients (14,413) and outpatients (12,845). Only 391 prescribers accessed standard treatment guidelines during prescription of antimicrobials.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthcare professionals' adherence to evidence-based implementation of STG for antimicrobial treatment were low in SSA. Healthcare systems in SSA must make concerted efforts to enhance prescribers access to STGs through optimization of mobile clinical decision support applications. Innovative, informative, and interactive strategies must be in place by the healthcare systems in SSA to empower healthcare providers to make evidence-based clinical decisions informed by the best available evidence and patient preferences, to ultimately improving patient outcomes and promoting appropriate antimicrobial use.

Translating medical device innovations to market - a Ugandan perspective

There is a disparity between low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) in translating medical device innovations to the market, affecting health care service delivery. Whereas medical technologies developed in HICs face substantial challenges in getting to the bedside, there are at least clear pathways in most of the major markets, such as the UK, the EU, and the USA. Much less is known about the challenges that innovators of medical technologies face in LMICs. The aim of this study was to map out current bottlenecks in medical device innovation in Uganda, a LMIC in Sub-Saharan East Africa.A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a digital questionnaire. Twenty-one individuals completed the questionnaire, with the majority being medical device innovators (n = 12). Only one of these had undertaken all the innovation stages, up to clinical validation. Very few innovators had established companies, and/or acquired intellectual property. It is evident from similar studies that challenges in medical device translations are multidimensional, and hence interdisciplinary collaborations are key to accelerating translation processes, especially for LMICs.

Factors influencing physiotherapists implementation of high value care in the management of nonspecific low back pain in Indian healthcare settings: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Non-specific low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that often requires the involvement of physiotherapists for effective management. However, there is limited understanding of the factors influencing physiotherapists' implementation of high-value care in the management of non-specific low back pain (NSLBP), particularly in Indian healthcare settings.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators of implementation of high-value care in managing NSLBP from the perspective of physiotherapists practicing in Indian healthcare settings.

DESIGN

Descriptive qualitative design.

METHODS

We adopted a descriptive phenomenological approach and purposefully selected physiotherapists (N = 15) from diverse healthcare settings, encompassing varying years of clinical experience, to capture a broad range of perspectives. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted via the Zoom video conferencing platform. Each interview lasted on average for 30-45 min, and no follow-up interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with an inductive approach.

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed three major themes and seven sub-themes uncovering barriers and facilitators of implementation of high-value care. These themes include misconceptions about low back pain and its management among physiotherapists, their perceived lack of autonomy in clinical decision-making due to external influences, and the significance of aligning treatment plans with patient goals while considering evidence-based care.

CONCLUSION

The study results provide insights into the unique challenges associated with implementation of high-value care for non-specific low back pain in Indian healthcare settings.

Optimizing cardiovascular disease risk screening in a low-resource setting: cost-effectiveness of program modifications in Sri Lanka modelled with nationally representative survey data

BACKGROUND

While screening for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk can help low-resource health systems deliver low-cost, effective prevention, evidence is needed to adapt international screening guidelines for maximal impact in local settings. We aimed to establish how the cost-effectiveness of CVD risk screening in Sri Lanka varies with who is screened, how risk is assessed, and what thresholds are used for prescription of medicines.

METHODS

We used data for people aged 35 years and over from a 2018/19 nationally representative survey in Sri Lanka. We modelled the costs and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) for 128 screening program scenarios distinguished by a) age group screened, b) risk tool used, c) definition of high CVD risk, d) blood pressure threshold for treatment of high-risks, and e) prescription of statins to all diabetics. We used the current program as the base case. We used a Markov model of a one-year screening program with a lifetime horizon and a public health system perspective.

RESULTS

Scenarios that included the WHO-2019 office-based risk tool dominated most others. Switching to this tool and raising the age threshold for screening from 35 to 40 years gave an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $113/QALY. Lowering the CVD high-risk threshold from 20 to 10% and prescribing antihypertensives at a lower threshold to diabetics and people at high risk of CVD gave an ICER of $1,159/QALY. The findings were sensitive to allowing for disutility of daily medication.

CONCLUSIONS

In Sri Lanka, CVD risk screening scenarios that used the WHO-2019 office-based risk tool, screened people above the age of 40, and lowered risk and blood pressure thresholds would likely be cost-effective, generating an additional QALY at less than half a GDP per capita.

Chinese Registry of Psoriatic Arthritis (CREPAR): I. Clinical characteristics of Chinese patients with psoriatic arthritis

AIM

To describe the clinical characteristics of Chinese patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) using the data recorded in the Chinese Registry of Psoriatic Arthritis (CREPAR).

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study based on the CREPAR registry, which is a prospective registry founded in December 2018. Data regarding clinical characteristics and treatment of patients were collected during every visit. Data recorded at enrollment were extracted, analyzed, and compared with data in other registries or cohorts.

RESULTS

A total of 1074 patients were registered from December 2018 to June 2021. Of these, 929 (86.5%) patients had a history of peripheral arthritis, and 844 patients (78.6%) had peripheral arthritis at enrollment, of which polyarthritis is the most common subtype. Axial involvement was present in 39.9% of patients, and 50 (4.7%) patients had axial involvement only. More than half of the patients (55.4%) had at least two musculoskeletal presentations at enrollment. The prevalence of low disease activity and remission according to DAPSA were 26.4% and 6.8%, respectively. Conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) and biological DMARDs were used in 64.9% and 29.1% of patients, respectively. Among patients with different musculoskeletal presentations, patients with dactylitis had the highest proportion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and csDMARD use. The proportion of patients receiving bDMARDs was highest in axial PsA.

CONCLUSION

The CREPAR registry has provided information on Chinese patients with PsA. Compared with data in other registries or cohorts, the disease activity of patients in CREPAR was higher, and the proportion of bDMARD use was lower.

A systematic review of participatory approaches to empower health workers in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting Health Workers for Change

This systematic review assesses participatory approaches to motivating positive change among health workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The mistreatment of clients at health centres has been extensively documented, causing stress among clients, health complications and even avoidance of health centres altogether. Health workers, too, face challenges, including medicine shortages, task shifting, inadequate training and a lack of managerial support. Solutions are urgently needed to realise global commitments to quality primary healthcare, country ownership and universal health coverage. This review searched 1243 titles and abstracts, of which 32 were extracted for full text review using a published critical assessment tool. Eight papers were retained for final review, all using a single methodology, 'Health Workers for Change' (HWFC). The intervention was adapted to diverse geographical and health settings. Nine indicators from the included studies were assessed, eliciting many common findings and documenting an overall positive impact of the HWFC approach. Health workers acknowledged their negative behaviour towards clients, often as a way of coping with their own unmet needs. In most settings they developed action plans to address these issues. Recommendations are made on mainstreaming HWFC into health systems in LMICs and its potential application to alleviating stress and burnout from COVID-19.

Understanding factors influencing the use of clinical guidelines in low-income and middle-income settings: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

A scoping review was undertaken to determine the extent to which existing studies have examined factors influencing healthcare providers' use of clinical guidelines in low and middle-income country (LMIC) settings and determine which factors constrain or facilitate the use of clinical guidelines by healthcare providers.

DESIGN

Scoping review.

DATA SOURCES

The literature search was conducted using PubMed in January 2021.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We identified empirical studies, published between 2011-2021 in English, which included clinicians and/or nurses as healthcare providers, used a health facility as the study site, and were located in an LMIC.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Information extracted from the literature review was organised using themes and the findings synthesised using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The review identified five types of interacting factors that influence healthcare providers' use of and compliance with clinical guidelines. The factors identified are organisational factors, factors relating to individual healthcare providers, attributes of the clinical guidelines, patient-related factors and institutional factors. Organisational factors can be further divided into the physical work environment, organisational culture and working conditions. The effective use of clinical guidelines in LMIC settings is greatly impacted by the contextualisation of clinical guidelines, end-user engagement and alignment of the implementation of clinical guidelines with the institutional arrangements in the broader health system.

CONCLUSION

The development and evaluation of concrete interventions is vital to facilitate the implementation of clinical guidelines and improve healthcare service quality. Further studies are necessary to examine the relative importance of the five identified factors on the effective use of clinical guidelines in different contexts.

Midwives' perceptions towards the ministry of health guidelines for the provision of immediate postpartum care in rural health facilities in Uganda

BACKGROUND

Guidelines for clinical practice have been part of the Ministry of health's efforts to improve the quality of care for over two decades. Their benefits have been documented in Uganda. However, having practice guidelines may not always result in their use in care provision. We explored the midwives' perceptions towards the ministry of health guidelines for providing immediate postpartum care.

METHODS

An exploratory descriptive qualitative study was conducted in three districts in Uganda from September 2020 to January 2021. In-depth interviews with 50 midwives from 35 health centers and 2 hospitals in Mpigi, Butambala, and Gomba districts were done. Thematic analysis of data was done.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged; awareness and use of the guidelines, perceived drivers, and perceived barriers to the provision of immediate postpartum care. The subthemes for theme I included; awareness of the guidelines, variations in the postpartum care practices, variations in preparedness to manage women with complications, and varied access to continuing midwifery education. Fear of complications and litigation were the perceived drivers of guideline use. On the other hand, lack of knowledge, busy maternity units, organization of the care, and the midwives' perceptions about their clients were the barriers to guideline use. Midwives felt that new guidelines and policies regarding immediate postpartum care should be disseminated widely.

CONCLUSION

The midwives felt that the guidelines were good for the prevention of postpartum complications but their knowledge of the guidelines for the provision of immediate postpartum care was suboptimal. They desired on-job training and mentorship to help them bridge the knowledge gaps. Variations in patient assessment, monitoring, and pre-discharge care were acknowledged and said to be due to a poor reading culture and health facility factors like patient-midwife ratios, unit setup, and prioritization of labor.

Standards for evaluating the quality of undergraduate nursing e-learning programme in low- and middle-income countries: a modified Delphi study

BACKGROUND

The lack of standards for evaluating the quality of undergraduate nursing programmes hampers the evaluation of e-learning programmes in low- and middle-income countries. Fragmented approaches to evaluation coupled with a lack of uniform criteria have been a major deterrent to the growth of e-learning. Adopting standards from high-income countries has contextual challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Holistic approaches coupled with uniform standards provide information to stakeholders hence the quality of the programmes is measurable. The e-learning situation in low-and middle-income countries provided an impetus to develop and validate these standards.

DESIGN

A modified Delphi technique.

REVIEW METHODS

Fourteen experts with experience and expertise in e-learning and regulation of undergraduate nursing from fourteen countries from LMICs participated in three rounds of the modified Delphi process. A pre-described set of standards was shared electronically for independent and blinded ratings. An 80% threshold was set for consensus decisions. The standards were modified based on experts' comments, and two subsequent rounds were used to refine the standards and criteria.

RESULTS

At the end of round one, the expert consensus was to keep 67, modify 39 and remove three criteria. At the end of the second round, the consensus was to modify 38 and remove one criteria. In the third round, experts agreed that the standards were feasible, usable, and practical in LMICs. A total of six broad standards with 104 criteria were developed.

CONCLUSION

The Technological bloom permeating all spheres of society, including education is an essential component in the development of e-learning programmes. E-learning in nursing education requires critical evaluation to ensure quality in undergraduate nursing programmes. The intricacies of the Low and middle-income context were taken into consideration in developing the standards to offer sustainable evaluation of the quality of e-learning in LMICs, and local solutions to local problems.

Participation by patients from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in trial evidence supporting secondary stroke prevention guideline recommendations

BACKGROUND

One out of every four strokes is a highly preventable recurrent stroke. However, while low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) experience a disproportionate global burden of stroke, individuals in these regions seldomly participate in pivotal clinical trials, which form the basis for international expert consensus guideline recommendations.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate a contemporary and globally prominent expert consensus secondary stroke prevention guideline statement for the participation of clinical trial subjects recruited from LMICs in formulating key therapeutic recommendations.

METHODS

We examined the 2021 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Guideline for the Prevention of Stroke in Patients with Stroke and TIA. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) cited in the Guideline were independently reviewed by two authors for study populations and participating countries with a focus on trials for vascular risk factor control and management by underlying stroke mechanism. We also reviewed all cited systematic reviews and meta-analyses for the original RCTs.

RESULTS

Among 320 secondary stroke prevention clinical trials, 262 (82%) focused on vascular risk control addressing diabetes (n = 26), hypertension (n = 23), obstructive sleep apnea (n = 13), dyslipidaemia (n = 10), lifestyle (n = 188) and obesity (n = 2); and 58 focused on stroke mechanism management including atrial fibrillation (n = 10), large vessel atherosclerosis (n = 45) and small vessel disease (n = 3). Overall, 53 of 320 studies (16.6%) had contributions from LMICs ranging from 55.6% for dyslipidemia, 40.7% for diabetes, 26.1% for hypertension, 15.4% for OSA, 6.4% for lifestyle, 0% for obesity, and by mechanism: 60.0% for atrial fibrillation, 22.2% large vessel atherosclerosis and 33.3% for small vessel disease trials. Only 19 (5.9%) of the trials had participatory contributions from a country in sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa only).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to their global burden of stroke, LMICs are underrepresented in key clinical trials used in formulating a prominent global stroke prevention guideline. While current therapeutic recommendations are likely applicable to practice settings throughout the world, greater involvement of patients from LMIC settings will enhance the contextual relevance and generalizability of recommendations to these disparate populations.

Bridging the know-do gap in low-income surgical environments: Creating contextually appropriate training videos to promote safer surgery in Ethiopia

Although international guidelines exist for the prevention of surgical site infections, their implementation in diverse clinical contexts, especially in low and middle-income countries, is challenging due to the lack of available resources and organizational structure of facilities. The goal of this project was to develop a series of video training aids to highlight best practices in surgical infection prevention in hospitals with limited resources and to provide practical solutions to common challenges faced in these settings. Using the validated Clean Cut education framework for infection prevention developed by Lifebox, a charity devoted to improving surgical and anesthetic safety, we partnered with clinicians in one Ethiopian hospital to create six educational videos giving practical guidelines for infection prevention under resource variable conditions. These include: 1) proper use of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, 2) hand and skin antisepsis, 3) confirming instrument sterility, 4) maintaining the sterile field, 5) antibiotic prophylaxis, and 6) gauze counting. Gaps in available online educational materials were identified in each of the six areas. Videos were created providing setting-specific education and addressing gaps in existing materials for each of the infection prevention topics. These videos are now integrated into infection prevention curricula through Lifebox in Ethiopia and ongoing data collection to evaluate acceptability and efficacy is ongoing. Surgical education videos on infection prevention topics addressing location-specific resources and workarounds can be useful to hospitals operating in resource-limited settings for training staff and supporting quality and safety efforts in surgery.

Neurological disorders in pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries-Management gaps, impacts, and future prospects: A review perspective

Neurological disorders during pregnancy are a substantial threat to women's health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, a critical shortage of mental health workers and neurologists exacerbates the already pressing issue, where a lack of coordination of respective healthcare among multidisciplinary teams involved in managing these conditions perpetuates the current state of affairs. Financial restrictions and societal stigmas associated with neurological disorders in pregnancy amplify the situation. Addressing these difficulties would necessitate a multifaceted approach comprising investments in healthcare infrastructure, healthcare professional education and training, increased government support for research, and the implementation of innovative care models. Improving access to specialized treatment and coordinated management of antenatal neurological diseases will precipitate improved health outcomes for women and their families in low- and middle-income countries.

Applicability of European Society of Cardiology guidelines according to gross national income

AIMS

To assess the feasibility to comply with the recommended actions of ESC guidelines on general cardiology areas in 102 countries and assess how compliance relates to the country's income level.

METHODS AND RESULTS

All recommendations from seven ESC guidelines on general cardiology areas were extracted and labelled on recommended actions. A survey was sent to all 102 ESC national and affiliated cardiac societies (NCSs). Respondents were asked to score recommended actions on their availability in clinical practice on a four-point Likert scale (fully available, mostly/often available, mostly/often unavailable, fully unavailable), and select the top three barriers perceived as being responsible for limiting their national availability. Applicability was assessed overall, per World Bank gross national income (GNI) level, and per guideline.A total of 875 guideline recommendations on general cardiology was extracted. Responses were received from 64 of 102 (62.7%) NCSs. On average, 71·6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 68.6-74.6] of the actions were fully available, 9.9% (95% CI: 8.7-11.1) mostly/often available, 6.7% (95% CI: 5.4-8.0) mostly/often unavailable, and 11·8% (95% CI: 9.5-14.1) fully unavailable. In low-income countries (LICs), substantially more actions were fully unavailable [29·4% (95% CI: 22.6-36.3)] compared with high-income countries [HICs, countries 2.4% (95% CI: 1.2-3.7); P < 0.05]. Nevertheless, a proportion of actions with the lowest availability scores were often fully or mostly unavailable independent of GNIs. Actions were most often not available due to lack of reimbursement and other financial barriers.

CONCLUSION

Local implementation of ESC guidelines on general cardiology is high in HICs and low in LICs , being inversely correlated with country gross national incomes.

Clinical Decision-Making for Heart Failure in Kosovo: A Conjoint Analysis

BACKGROUND

Heart failure represents a life-threatening progressive condition. Early diagnosis and adherence to clinical guidelines are associated with improved outcomes for patients with heart failure. However, adherence to clinical guidelines remains limited in Kosovo.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinical decision-making related to heart failure diagnosis by evaluating clinicians' preferences for clinical attributes.

METHOD

Conjoint analysis with 33 clinical scenarios with physicians employed in public hospitals in Kosovo.

SETTING

Two public hospitals in Kosovo that benefited from quality improvement intervention.

PARTICIPANTS

14 physicians (internists and cardiologists) in two hospitals in Kosovo.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the overall effect of clinical attributes on the decision for heart failure diagnosis.

RESULTS

When considering clinical signs, the likelihood of a heart failure diagnosis increased for ages between 60 to 69 years old (RRR, 1.88; CI 95%, 1.05-3.34) and a stable heart rate (RRR, 1.93; CI 95%, 1.05-3.55) and decreased for the presence of edema (RRR, 0.23; CI 95%, 0.15-0.36), orthopnea (RRR, 0.31; CI 95%, 0.20-0.48), and unusual fatigue (RRR, 0.61; CI 95%, 0.39-0.94). When considering clinical examination findings, the likelihood for heart failure diagnosis decreased for high jugular venous pressure (RRR, 0.49; CI 95%, 0.32-0.76), pleural effusion (RRR, 0.35; CI 95%, 0.23-0.54), hearing third heart sound, (RRR, 0.50; CI 95%, 0.33-0.77), heart murmur (RRR, 0.57; CI 95%, 0.37-0.88), troponin levels (RRR, 0.59; CI 95%, 0.38-0.91), and NTproBNP levels (RRR, 0.36; CI 95%, 0.24-0.56).

CONCLUSIONS

We often found odd and wide variations of clinical signs and examination results influencing the decision to diagnose a person with heart failure. It will be important to explore and understand these results better. The study findings are important for existing quality improvement support efforts and contribute to the standardization of clinical decision-making in the public hospitals in the country. This experience and this study can provide valuable impetus for further examination of these efforts and informing policy and development efforts in the standardization of care in the country.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Type 2 Diabetes Screening in the Republic of Uzbekistan

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) screening should be performed continuously at the primary care level in order to prevent disabling complications. Due to the high prevalence of undiagnosed T2D in the Republic of Uzbekistan, a decision was made to implement a nationwide screening program for T2D.

OBJECTIVES

The current study, taking into account the limited resources of Uzbekistan's health care system, aimed to offer the most effective, simple, and economical option required for the actual implementation of regular T2D screening in the country's primary care.

METHODS

The screening was conducted from December 2018 to March 2019. There were four different scenarios, which differed in terms of eligibility criteria and the methodology adopted for detecting dysglycemia.

RESULTS

A total of 2,430 patients were examined in four months. The T2D diagnosis was established by an endocrinologist in 9.3% of the cases with one eligibility criterion and 15.9% of the cases with three eligibility criteria. The diagnosis of T2D was established by an endocrinologist in 11.7% of the cases with HbA1c screening and 13.5% of the cases with glucose screening.

CONCLUSIONS

The screening was feasible in Uzbekistan only in limited conditions. The reasonable strategy was found to be the screening for incidental glycemia in all patients with at least one T2D risk factor. It was recommended that patients with incidental glycemia ≥ 7.8 mmol/L should be tested for fasting glycemia.

Development, implementation and validation of resource-stratified guidelines in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Nearly every field of medicine has some form of clinical practice guidelines. However, only within the past 5-10 years has the medical community acknowledged the need for well-developed guidelines tailored to the local healthcare needs and the resources available. In most low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), healthcare workers depend on guidelines developed in high-income countries (HICs), yet many interventions validated in a HIC are ineffective when implemented in an LMIC. The variation in infrastructure, medical personnel, technology and environmental conditions exhibited in LMICs relative to HICs necessitates a careful appraisal of the evidence base used in clinical guideline recommendations. This review aims to map the use of resource-stratified guidelines across all fields of medicine. The review seeks to answer three questions for the identified guidelines: (1) what was the method of development, (2) have they been implemented and, if so, (3) have they been validated.

METHODS

The search strategy will aim to locate studies from inception to November 2021. An initial limited search of PubMed and Scopus was undertaken to identify articles on the topic. The text words contained in the titles and abstracts of relevant articles, and the index terms used to describe the articles were used to develop a full search strategy for PubMed and Scopus. This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews. Data to be extracted from each study will include population characteristics of both developers and intended implementation population, medical specialty, validation status, method of guideline development, whether the study is consensus or evidence-based in addition to a summary of recommendations for practice.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for this review. The plan for dissemination is to publish review findings in a peer-reviewed journal.

Improving WHO's understanding of WHO guideline uptake and use in Member States: a scoping review

Background

WHO publishes public health and clinical guidelines to guide Member States in achieving better health outcomes. Furthermore, WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work for 2019–2023 prioritizes strengthening its normative functional role and uptake of normative and standard-setting products, including guidelines at the country level. Therefore, understanding WHO guideline uptake by the Member States, particularly the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is of utmost importance for the organization and scholarship.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review using a comprehensive search strategy to include published literature in English between 2007 and 2020. The review was conducted between May and June 2021. We searched five electronic databases including CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase and Scopus. We also searched Google Scholar as a supplementary source. The review adhered to the PRISMA-ScR (PRISMA extension for scoping reviews) guidelines for reporting the searches, screening and identification of evaluation studies from the literature. A narrative synthesis of the evidence around key barriers and challenges for WHO guideline uptake in LMICs is thematically presented.

Results

The scoping review included 48 studies, and the findings were categorized into four themes: (1) lack of national legislation, regulations and policy coherence, (2) inadequate experience, expertise and training of healthcare providers for guideline uptake, (3) funding limitations for guideline uptake and use, and (4) inadequate healthcare infrastructure for guideline compliance. These challenges were situated in the Member States’ health systems. The findings suggest that governance was often weak within the existing health systems amongst most of the LMICs studied, as was the guidance provided by WHO’s guidelines on governance requirements. This challenge was further exacerbated by a lack of accountability and transparency mechanisms for uptake and implementation of guidelines. In addition, the WHO guidelines themselves were either unclear and were technically challenging for some health conditions; however, WHO guidelines were primarily used as a reference by Member States when they developed their national guidelines.

Conclusions

The challenges identified reflect the national health systems’ (in)ability to allocate, implement and monitor the guidelines. Historically this is beyond the remit of WHO, but Member States could benefit from WHO implementation guidance on requirements and needs for successful uptake and use of WHO guidelines.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12961-022-00899-y.

International collaboration for the development of clinical guidelines in low and middle-income countries: case study on the development of a national framework and clinical guidelines for diabetic retinopathy in Ghana

Background

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in many countries across the world. Ghana has seen a rise in diabetic retinopathy and is working on various strategies to prevent blindness. Clinical guidelines are seen as a promising strategy for improving quality and reducing cost of care. Little is known about the processes of collaborative guideline development in the African context.

Methods

This case study discusses the process of developing clinical guidelines for diabetic retinopathy in Ghana via a collaboration with the Kenya team that had previously developed guidelines for Kenya.

Results

The main lesson learnt was the ability to overcome challenges. The main output achieved was the draft national framework, guidelines and training slides on the guidelines.

Conclusion

Horizontal international collaboration can aid development of clinical guidelines.

Identifying the research, advocacy, policy and implementation needs for the prevention and management of respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection in low- and middle-income countries

INTRODUCTION

The high burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in young children disproportionately occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The PROUD (Preventing RespiratOry syncytial virUs in unDerdeveloped countries) Taskforce of 24 RSV worldwide experts assessed key needs for RSV prevention in LMICs, including vaccine and newer preventive measures.

METHODS

A global, survey-based study was undertaken in 2021. An online questionnaire was developed following three meetings of the Taskforce panellists wherein factors related to RSV infection, its prevention and management were identified using iterative questioning. Each factor was scored, by non-panellists interested in RSV, on a scale of zero (very-low-relevance) to 100 (very-high-relevance) within two scenarios: (1) Current and (2) Future expectations for RSV management.

RESULTS

Ninety questionnaires were completed: 70 by respondents (71.4% physicians; 27.1% researchers/scientists) from 16 LMICs and 20 from nine high-income (HI) countries (90.0% physicians; 5.0% researchers/scientists), as a reference group. Within LMICs, RSV awareness was perceived to be low, and management was not prioritised. Of the 100 factors scored, those related to improved diagnosis particularly access to affordable point-of-care diagnostics, disease burden data generation, clinical and general education, prompt access to new interventions, and engagement with policymakers/payers were identified of paramount importance. There was a strong need for clinical education and local data generation in the lowest economies, whereas upper-middle income countries were more closely aligned with HI countries in terms of current RSV service provision.

CONCLUSION

Seven key actions for improving RSV prevention and management in LMICs are proposed.

OUP accepted manuscript

Background

Existing emergency general surgery (EGS) guidelines rarely include evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and may lack relevance to low-resource settings. The aim of this study was to develop global guidelines for EGS that are applicable across all hospitals and health systems.

Methods

A systematic review and thematic analysis were performed to identify recommendations relating to undifferentiated EGS. Those deemed relevant across all resource settings by an international guideline development panel were included in a four-round Delphi prioritization process and are reported according to International Standards for Clinical Practice Guidelines. The final recommendations were included as essential (baseline measures that should be implemented as a priority) or desirable (some hospitals may lack relevant resources at present but should plan for future implementation).

Results

After thematic analysis of 38 guidelines with 1396 unique recommendations, 68 recommendations were included in round 1 voting (410 respondents (219 from LMICs)). The final guidelines included eight essential, one desirable, and three critically unwell patient-specific recommendations. Preoperative recommendations included guidance on timely transfers, CT scan pathways, handovers, and discussion with senior surgeons. Perioperative recommendations included surgical safety checklists and recovery room monitoring. Postoperative recommendations included early-warning scores, discharge plans, and morbidity meetings. Recommendations for critically unwell patients included prioritization for theatre, senior team supervision, and high-level postoperative care.

Conclusion

This pragmatic and representative process created evidence-based global guidelines for EGS that are suitable for resource limited environments around the world.

The development of clinical guidelines in China: insights from a national survey

Background

Previous research suggests that the quality of clinical guidelines (CGs) in China is suboptimal. However, little is known about the methodology that CGs follow. We conducted a national survey of methods used by Chinese CG developers for CG development, adaptation, and updating.

Methods

We used a previously piloted questionnaire based on methodologies of CG development, adaptation, and updating, which was distributed during September–November 2020 to 114 organizations identified from published Chinese CGs (searched 2017–2020), recommended by Chinese CG developers, and recommended by clinical discipline experts.

Results

We collected 48 completed questionnaires (42.1% response). Most organizations developed CGs based on scientific evidence (89.6%), existing CGs (75%), or expert experience and opinion (64.6%). Only a few organizations had a specific CG development division (6.3%), a CG monitoring plan (on clinicians 33.3%; on patients 18.8%), funding (33.3%), or a conflict-of-interest (COI) management policy (23.4%). Thirty (62.5%) organizations reported using a CG development methodology handbook, from international organizations (14/30, 46.7%), methodology or evaluation resources (3/30, 10.0%), expert experience and opinion (3/30, 10.0%), or in-house handbooks (3/30, 10.0%). One organization followed a published adaptation methodology. Thirty-eight organizations (88.4%) reported de novo CG development: 21 (55.3%) formed a CG working group, and 29 (76.3%) evaluated the quality of evidence (21 [72.4%] using a methodological tool). Nineteen organizations (52.8%) reported CG adaptation: three (31.6%) had an adaptation working group, and 12 (63.2%) evaluated the quality of source CGs (2 (16.7%) using the AGREE II instrument). Thirty-three organizations (68.8%) updated their CGs, seven (17.5%) using a formal updating process.

Conclusions

Our study describes how CGs are developed in a middle-income country like China. To ensure better healthcare, there is still an important need for improvement in the development, adaptation, and updating of CG in China.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12961-021-00799-7.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS®) protocol adapted to the Brazilian reality: a prospective cohort study for thoracic patients

Background

In Low-Middle Income Countries (LMICs), resource optimization and infrastructure availability are recurrently in debate. In order to assist the development and implementation of guidelines, LMICs often exemplify from High-Income Countries protocols. At the final, it will be: content adaption is often needed. In this study, we demonstrated the preliminary analysis of the Brazilian experience by adapting the ERAS^® Protocol for thoracic surgery patients (PROSM).

Methods

Patients’ data were extracted from the surgical group database that operated in the city of Sao Paulo. Patients’ data were organized for analysis after the institution’s ethics committee gave their approval. Patients’ variables were analyzed and compared to a control group. Subgroup analysis included patients without ICU Admission.

Results

PROSM patients had reduced ICU length of stay (LOS) (Mean of 0.3±0.58 days, 1.2±1.65 days, P=0.001), Hospital LOS (Mean of 1.6±1.32 days, 3.9±3.25 days, P=0.001) and Chest Drain duration (Median 1.0±1.00 days, 3.0±3.00 days, P=0.001). Analyses of patients that were not admitted to the ICU demonstrated reduced Hospital LOS and Chest drain duration. Cost analysis, such as procedure, daily, and post-surgical costs were also significantly lower towards PROSM group.

Conclusions

This study revealed important aspects for improvement of the delivered care quality and opportunity for expenditure management. We expect to assist more countries to improve knowledge under the implementation of enhanced protocols.

Accessibility, inclusivity, and implementation of COVID-19 clinical management guidelines early in the pandemic: a global survey

Background: With a rapidly changing evidence base, high-quality clinical management guidelines (CMGs) are key tools for aiding clinical decision making and increasing access to best available evidence-based care. A rapid review of COVID-19 CMGs found most lacked methodological rigour, overlooked at-risk populations, and varied in treatment recommendations. Furthermore, social science literature highlights the complexity of implementing guidelines in local contexts where they were not developed and the resulting potential to compound health inequities. This study aimed to evaluate access to, inclusivity of, and implementation of COVID-19 CMGs in different settings. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of clinicians worldwide was conducted from 15th June to 20th July 2020, to explore access to and implementation of COVID-19 CMGs, and treatment and supportive care recommendations provided. Data on accessibility, inclusivity, and implementation of CMGs were analysed by geographic location. Results: 76 clinicians from 27 countries responded: 82% from high-income countries, 17% from lower middle-income countries (LMICs). Most respondents reported access to COVID-19 CMGs and confidence in their implementation. However, many respondents, particularly from LMICs, reported barriers to implementation, including limited access to treatment and equipment. Only 20% of respondents reported having access to CMGs covering care for children, 25% for pregnant women, and 50% for older adults (>65 years). Identified themes were for CMGs to include recommendations for at-risk populations and settings, include supportive care guidance, and be updated as evidence emerges, and for clinicians to have training and access to recommended treatments to support implementation. Conclusion: Our findings highlight important gaps in COVID-19 CMG development and implementation challenges during a pandemic, particularly affecting at-risk populations and lower resourced settings. This study identifies an urgent need for an improved CMG development framework that is inclusive and adaptable to emerging evidence and considers contextual implementation support, to improve access to evidence-based care globally.

A comparative analysis and review of how national guidelines for chronic disease monitoring are made in low- and middle-income compared to high-income countries

Background

Understanding how clinical practice guidelines and recommendations are adopted in high-income and low-income settings will help contextualise the value and validity of recommendations in different settings. We investigate how major guidelines and recommendations are developed for management and monitoring of post-diagnosis treatment for three important chronic diseases: HIV, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

Eligible guidelines were searched for using PubMed, Google, and health ministry websites for all three conditions. Only guidelines published from 2010 to 2020 were included. The source of the guidelines, year of most recent guideline, and basis of the guidelines were assessed. Additionally, recommendations, the strength of the recommendation and the quality of the evidence for treatment goals of non-pregnant adults and the frequency of monitoring were also extracted and assessed.

Results

Of the 42 countries searched 90%, 71% and 60% had T2DM, hypertension and HIV guidelines outlining targets for long-term management, respectively. Most T2DM guidelines recommend an HbA1c target of ≤7.0% (68%) or ≤6.5% (24%) as the ideal glycaemic target for most non-pregnant adults, while hypertension guidelines recommend blood pressure (systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure) targets of <140/90 mm Hg (94%) and <130/80 mm Hg (6%). Of the identified HIV guidelines, 67% define virological failure as a viral load >1000 copies/mL, with 26%, mostly HICs, defining virological failure as a viral load >200 copies/mL. Recommendations for the frequency of monitoring for any diagnosed patients were available in 18 (55%) of the hypertension guidelines, 25 (93%) of HIV guidelines, and 27 (73%) of the T2DM guidelines. Only a few of the guidelines provide the strength of the recommendation and the quality of the evidence.

Conclusions

Most guidelines from LMICs are adopted or adapted from existing HIC guidelines or international and regional organisation guidelines with little consideration for resource availability, contextual factors, logistical issues and general feasibility.

Strategies Used for Implementing and Promoting Adherence to Antibiotic Guidelines in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Containing antimicrobial resistance and reducing high levels of antibiotic consumption in low- and lower middle-income countries are a major challenge. Clinical guidelines targeting antibiotic prescribing can reduce consumption, however, the degrees to which clinical guidelines are adopted and adhered to are challenging for developers, policy makers and users. The aim of this study was to review the strategies used for implementing and promoting antibiotic guideline adherence in low- and lower middle-income countries. A review of published literature was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS and the information systems of the World Health Organization and the Australian National University according to PRISMA guidelines and our PROSPERO protocol. The strategies were grouped into five broad categories based on the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care taxonomy. The 33 selected studies, representing 16 countries varied widely in design, setting, disease focus, methods, intervention components, outcomes and effects. The majority of interventions were multifaceted and resulted in a positive direction of effect. The nature of the interventions and study variability made it impossible to tease out which strategies had the greatest impact on improving CG compliance. Audit and feedback coupled with either workshops and/or focus group discussions were the most frequently used intervention components. All the reported strategies are established practices used in antimicrobial stewardship programs in high-income countries. We recommend interrupted time series studies be used as an alternative design to pre- and post-intervention studies, information about the clinical guidelines be made more transparent, and prescriber confidence be investigated.

Quality of stroke guidelines in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To identify gaps in national stroke guidelines that could be bridged to enhance the quality of stroke care services in low- and middle-income countries.

METHODS

We systematically searched medical databases and websites of medical societies and contacted international organizations. Country-specific guidelines on care and control of stroke in any language published from 2010 to 2020 were eligible for inclusion. We reviewed each included guideline for coverage of four key components of stroke services (surveillance, prevention, acute care and rehabilitation). We also assessed compliance with the eight Institute of Medicine standards for clinical practice guidelines, the ease of implementation of guidelines and plans for dissemination to target audiences.

FINDINGS

We reviewed 108 eligible guidelines from 47 countries, including four low-income, 24 middle-income and 19 high-income countries. Globally, fewer of the guidelines covered primary stroke prevention compared with other components of care, with none recommending surveillance. Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries fell short of the required standards for guideline development; breadth of target audience; coverage of the four components of stroke services; and adaptation to socioeconomic context. Fewer low- and middle-income country guidelines demonstrated transparency than those from high-income countries. Less than a quarter of guidelines encompassed detailed implementation plans and socioeconomic considerations.

CONCLUSION

Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries need to be developed in conjunction with a wider category of health-care providers and stakeholders, with a full spectrum of translatable, context-appropriate interventions.

Resource stratified guidelines for cancer: Are they all the same? Interguideline concordance for systemic treatment recommendations

A number of organizations are producing resource stratified guidelines (RSGs) for cancer. Despite using similar definitions of resource levels, systemic treatment recommendations often differ between organizations. We systematically searched for RSGs focusing on solid tumors. We qualitatively compared the methods used to generate guidelines using the AGREE-II appraisal tool. We extracted systemic treatment recommendations and assessed interguideline concordance using the Gwet AC₁ coefficient, stratified by resource level, treatment setting and cancer type. We identified 69 RSGs cancer covering 15 solid tumors produced by four organizations. Despite using common resource-level definitions (Basic, Core/Limited, Enhanced and Maximal), recommendations differed between organizations. Concordance for chemotherapy recommendations was poor in Basic (58.3%, Gwet 0.20), fair in Core (58.3%, Gwet 0.32) and excellent in Enhanced (92.4%, Gwet 0.92) and Maximal settings (95.4%, Gwet 0.95). Concordance rates for endocrine therapy were good in Basic (80% Gwet 0.61), and excellent in Core (90%, Gwet 0.87), Enhanced (90%, Gwet 0.89) and Maximal settings (90%, Gwet 0.89). There was moderate to excellent concordance in targeted therapy recommendations across all resource levels. Differences in recommendations appeared driven by different opinions among the chosen panel of experts regarding what is resource appropriate. Overall, we found that countries looking to base treatment and health-policy on RSGs will find conflicting information depending on which guidelines are used, particularly for chemotherapy in Basic and Core settings. Improved transparency regarding the methods used to determine the value of a therapy for a given resource level is needed.

Applicability of Western protocols in resource‐limited setting: Real‐world data of long‐term outcome of intensive treatment of adult acute myeloid leukaemia in Sri Lanka

There are no published data on long‐term survival and applicability of treatment protocols from developed countries in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in Sri Lanka. Eighty‐seven AML patients were reviewed; there were 56 newly diagnosed patients between 18 and 65 years. Thirty‐one out of 33 who started treatment achieved complete remission after first cycle of treatment. The induction mortality was one of 33. Twelve out of 20 patients who completed treatment are alive at the time of analysis. The estimated 5‐year overall survival rate is 0.629. Strict infection control and treatment and superior clinical experience may have contributed towards better outcome.

Global infectious disease research collaborations in crises: building capacity and inclusivity through cooperation

BACKGROUND

The initial research requirements in pandemics are predictable. But how is it possible to study a disease that is so quickly spreading and to rapidly use that research to inform control and treatment?

MAIN BODY

In our view, a dilemma with such wide-reaching impact mandates multi-disciplinary collaborations on a global scale. International research collaboration is the only means to rapidly address these fundamental questions and potentially change the paradigm of data sharing for the benefit of patients throughout the world. International research collaboration presents significant benefits but also barriers that need to be surmounted, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

CONCLUSION

Facilitating international cooperation, by building capacity in established collaborative platforms and in low- and middle-income countries, is imperative to efficiently answering the priority clinical research questions that can change the trajectory of a pandemic.

Radiology departmental policy compliance with Swedish guidelines regarding post-contrast acute kidney injury for examinations with iodinated contrast media

INTRODUCTION

Guidelines concerning intravenous iodinated contrast media (CM) during computed tomography (CT) examinations are important to follow to minimize the risk for post-contrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the radiology departmental policy compliance with Swedish guidelines concerning PC-AKI.

METHODS

In February 2020, an electronic survey was distributed to the responsible radiographer at 41 radiology departments in all university hospitals and medium-sized hospitals in Sweden. The questions focused on routines around renal functional tests, individualized contrast administration and handling of patients with diabetes mellitus taking metformin.

RESULTS

The response rate was 83%. Seventy-six percent (n = 26) of radiology departments calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from serum creatinine prior to CM administration, but only 24% (n = 8) followed the recommendation to calculate eGFR from both serum creatinine and cystatin C. For acute/inpatients, 55% (n = 18) followed the recommendation that renal functional tests should be performed within 12 h before CM administration. For elective patients, 97% (n = 33) followed the recommendation to have eGFR newer than three months which is acceptable for patients with no history of disease that may have affected renal function. Approximately 80% of the radiology departments followed the recommendation that CM dose always should be individually adjusted to patient eGFR. Seventy-six percent (n = 26) followed the recommendation to continue with metformin at eGFR ≥ 45 ml/min.

CONCLUSION

Compliance with the national guidelines was high regarding routines around renal functional tests, dose adjustment of CM and metformin discontinuation. Improvements can be made in using both cystatin C and serum creatinine for eGFR calculations as well as ensuring renal function tests within 12 h for acute/inpatients with acute disease that may affect renal function.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This study raises awareness of the importance of adhering to guidelines in healthcare. To have knowledge about the current level of compliance regarding PCI-AKI is important to maintain and develop effective clinical implementation of guidelines. The variation in practice seen in this study emphasizes the need of more effective implementation strategies to ensure adherence with best practice.

Developing a Thai national critical care allocation guideline during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid review and stakeholder consultation

BACKGROUND

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand had almost depleted its critical care resources, particularly intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators. This prompted the necessity to develop a national guideline for resource allocation. This paper describes the development process of a national guideline for critical resource allocation in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

The guideline development process consisted of three steps: (1) rapid review of existing rationing guidelines and literature; (2) interviews of Thai clinicians experienced in caring for COVID-19 cases; and (3) multi-stakeholder consultations. At steps 1 and 2, data was synthesized and categorized using a thematic and content analysis approach, and this guided the formulation of the draft guideline. Within step 3, the draft Thai critical care allocation guideline was debated and finalized before entering the policy-decision stage.

RESULTS

Three-order prioritization criteria consisting of (1) clinical prognosis using four tools (Charlson Comorbidity Index, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, frailty assessment and cognitive impairment assessment), (2) number of life-years saved and (3) social usefulness were proposed by the research team based on literature reviews and interviews. At consultations, stakeholders rejected using life-years as a criterion due to potential age and gender discrimination, as well as social utility due to a concern it would foster public distrust, as this judgement can be arbitrary. It was agreed that the attending physician is required to be the decision-maker in the Thai medico-legal context, while a patient review committee would play an advisory role. Allocation decisions are to be documented for transparency, and no appealing mechanism is to be applied. This guideline will be triggered only when demand exceeds supply after the utmost efforts to mobilize surge capacity. Once implemented, it is applicable to all patients, COVID-19 and non-COVID-19, requiring critical care resources prior to ICU admission and during ICU stay.

CONCLUSIONS

The guideline development process for the allocation of critical care resources in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand was informed by scientific evidence, medico-legal context, existing norms and societal values to reduce risk of public distrust given the sensitive nature of the issue and ethical dilemmas of the guiding principle, though it was conducted at record speed. Our lessons can provide an insight for the development of similar prioritization guidelines, especially in other low- and middle-income countries.

Global variation of risk thresholds for initiating statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a benefit-harm balance modelling study

Background

We previously showed that the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk threshold to initiate statins for primary prevention depends on the baseline CVD risk, age, sex, and the incidence of statin-related harm outcome and competing risk for non-CVD death. As these factors appear to vary across countries, we aimed in this study to determine country-specific thresholds and provide guidelines a quantitative benefit-harm assessment method for local adaptation.

Methods

For each of the 186 countries included, we replicated the benefit-harm balance analysis using an exponential model to determine the thresholds to initiate statin use for populations aged 40 to 75 years, with no history of CVD. The analyses took data inputs from a priori studies, including statin effect estimates (network meta-analysis), patient preferences (survey), and baseline incidence of harm outcomes and competing risk for non-CVD (global burden of disease study). We estimated the risk thresholds above which the benefits of statins were more likely to outweigh the harms using a stochastic approach to account for statistical uncertainty of the input parameters.

Results

The 5^th and 95^th percentiles of the 10-year risk thresholds above which the benefits of statins outweigh the harms across 186 countries ranged between 14 and 20% in men and 19–24% in women, depending on age (i.e., 90% of the country-specific thresholds were in the ranges stated). The median risk thresholds varied from 14 to 18.5% in men and 19 to 22% in women. The between-country variability of the thresholds was slightly attenuated when further adjusted for age resulting, for example, in a 5^th and 95^th percentiles of 14–16% for ages 40–44 years and 17–21% for ages 70–74 years in men. Some countries, especially the islands of the Western Pacific Region, had higher thresholds to achieve net benefit of statins at 25–36% 10-year CVD risks.

Conclusions

This extensive benefit-harm analysis modeling shows that a single CVD risk threshold, irrespective of age, sex and country, is not appropriate to initiate statin use globally. Instead, countries need to carefully determine thresholds, considering the national or subnational contexts, to optimize benefits of statins while minimizing related harms and economic burden.

Delphi prioritization and development of global surgery guidelines for the prevention of surgical-site infection

Background

Most clinical guidelines are developed by high‐income country institutions with little consideration given to either the evidence base for interventions in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), or the specific challenges LMIC health systems may face in implementing recommendations. The aim of this study was to prioritize topics for future global surgery guidelines and then to develop a guideline for the top ranked topic.

Methods

A Delphi exercise identified and prioritized topics for guideline development. Once the top priority topic had been identified, relevant existing guidelines were identified and their recommendations were extracted. Recommendations were shortlisted if they were supported by at least two separate guidelines. Following two voting rounds, the final recommendations were agreed by an international guideline panel. The final recommendations were stratified by the guideline panel as essential (baseline measures that should be implemented as a priority) or desirable (some hospitals may lack these resources at present, in which case they should plan for future implementation).

Results

Prevention of surgical‐site infection (SSI) after abdominal surgery was identified as the highest priority topic for guideline development. The international guideline panel reached consensus on nine essential clinical recommendations for prevention of SSI. These included recommendations concerning preoperative body wash, use of prophylactic antibiotics, decontamination of scrub teams' hands, use of antiseptic solutions for surgical site preparation and perioperative supplemental oxygenation. In addition, three desirable clinical recommendations and four recommendations for future research were agreed.

Conclusion

This process led to the development of a global surgery guideline for the prevention of SSI that is both clinically relevant and implementable in LMICs.

Designing a customized clinical practice guideline regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for Iranian general dentists

Background

Clinical practice guidelines produced by developed countries seemed to be not completely feasible for developing countries due to their different local context. In this study, we designed a customized guideline about antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedures for Iranian general dentists.

Methods

This study was conducted of two parts, including a qualitative part and a cross-sectional analytic part. A multidisciplinary team searched for related guidelines and other documents, selected the most updated and high quality ones, customized their recommendations based on available antibiotics in Iran, prepared a draft adapted guideline and summarized its recommendations in 3 flowcharts. An expert panel (20 specialists of four Iranian dental universities) participated in a consensus process, afterwards to determine the relevance and clarity of the flowcharts and their items. Then the Content Validity Indices (CVIs) were calculated and any items with CVI higher than 0.79 remained.

Results

The adapted recommendations were summarized in flowcharts A to C. Two separate groups of patients who need antibiotic prophylaxis were presented in flowchart A; including those with high risk for distant-site infection (infective endocarditis and prosthetic joint infection) and those at risk for poor healing and orofacial infection (due to impaired immunologic function). Flowcharts B and C described antibiotic regimen and also the dental procedures where antibiotic prophylaxis was needed for mentioned groups. The content validity indices and the percentages of agreement between the expert panel members were considerably high.

Conclusions

A localized, clear and straight forward guideline that addresses all groups of dental patients who need antibiotic prophylaxis has been produced for Iranian general dentists.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s12903-019-0905-3.

Adapting clinical guidelines in India-a pragmatic approach

Adapting international guidelines to suit local context can drive evidence based practice in low and middle income countries, say Abha Mehndiratta and colleagues, as they describe a pragmatic approach to develop standard treatment guidelines for India

Comparative effectiveness of injectable penicillin versus a combination of penicillin and gentamicin in children with pneumonia characterised by indrawing in Kenya: a retrospective observational study

OBJECTIVES

Kenyan guidelines for antibiotic treatment of pneumonia recommended treatment of pneumonia characterised by indrawing with injectable penicillin alone in inpatient settings until early 2016. At this point, they were revised becoming consistent with WHO guidance after results of a Kenyan trial provided further evidence of equivalence of oral amoxicillin and injectable penicillin. This change also made possible use of oral amoxicillin for outpatient treatment in this patient group. However, given non-trivial mortality in Kenyan children with indrawing pneumonia, it remained possible they would benefit from a broader spectrum antibiotic regimen. Therefore, we compared the effectiveness of injectable penicillin monotherapy with a regimen combining penicillin with gentamicin.

SETTING

We used a large routine observational dataset that captures data on all admissions to 13 Kenyan county hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS AND MEASURES

The analyses included children aged 2-59 months. Selection of study population was based on inclusion criteria typical of a prospective trial, primary analysis (experiment 1, n=4002), but we also explored more pragmatic inclusion criteria (experiment 2, n=6420) as part of a secondary analysis. To overcome the challenges associated with the non-random allocation of treatments and missing data, we used propensity score (PS) methods and multiple imputation to minimise bias. Further, we estimated mortality risk ratios using log binomial regression and conducted sensitivity analyses using an instrumental variable and PS trimming.

RESULTS

The estimated risk of dying, in experiment 1, in those receiving penicillin plus gentamicin was 1.46 (0.85 to 2.43) compared with the penicillin monotherapy group. In experiment 2, the estimated risk was 1.04(0.76 to 1.40).

CONCLUSION

There is no statistical difference in the treatment of indrawing pneumonia with either penicillin or penicillin plus gentamicin. By extension, it is unlikely that treatment with penicillin plus gentamicin would offer an advantage to treatment with oral amoxicillin.