The Journal of Clinical Epidemiology is to publish a critical analysis by CIESAL researchers of the GES Guidelines
23/07/2020A review of the 86 Guidelines for Clinical Practice developed by the Chilean Ministry of Health for the pathologies covered by the GES health programme was accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, one of the world’s most influential evidence-based health journals. The publication consists of a critical analysis of the guidelines for clinical practice of the Chilean health system using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE), a validated instrument that measures six dimensions. In this analysis, led by CIESAL researcher Cristóbal Loézar, each Guide was evaluated, and a weighted score was obtained for each of the six dimensions.
Photo: The research director, Dr Cristóbal Loézar, presenting his work in Cape Town, South Africa.
El equipo de trabajo que encabezó Cristóbal Loézar, estuvo conformado por los investigadores de CIESAL Javier Pérez, Manuel Vargas, Eva Madrid, Cristian Papuzinski, Marcelo Arancibia, Nicolás Meza, y los colaboradores de otras cátedras Carlos Cadena, Camila Ondarza y Catalina Jahr.
The results showed that 82% of the 86 guides published between 2005 and 2016 were outdated at the time of the analysis. The highest scoring fields were: the description of the scope and objectives, the clarity of the presentation and recommendations. The fields with the lowest scores and with most room for improvement were methodological rigour, editorial independence, patient inclusion, and applicability considerations.
This critical analysis had already been presented at the Global Evidence Summit, which brings together the Cochrane Collaboration, the Campbell Collaboration and the GIN (Guidelines International Network).
It should be noted that, since last year, the Chilean Ministry of Health has been updating the GES Guidelines and, as part of this process, will strengthen several areas shown in the analysis as being weaknesses.