gms | German Medical Science

Background: The DECIDE study is a five-year collaborative project funded by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, designed to research and improve the way healthcare evidence and recommendations are presented in clinical guidelines.

Objectives: As part of DECIDE, NICE conducted a survey to gain an understanding of public awareness of NICE clinical guidelines.

Methods: The survey was available through Survey Monkey (TM) on the NICE website, July to October 2011. It was advertised to patient groups and previous Guideline Development Group members; as a news item on the NICE website; sharing the survey link through social networking sites and encouraging organisations to post the survey link to a news feed on their website.

Results: 1,675 responses were received. 83% of respondents were aware of NICE clinical guidelines through various sources including the internet, national media or patient support groups. Respondents viewed the guidelines in an electronic format (74%) or printed leaflet (25%). 85% considered that NICE guidelines had improved care and treatment; specific examples of using NICE guidelines to obtain better care were cited. However, many respondents were unclear about the role of NICE and were confused about the different types of NICE guidance.

Discussion: Our survey demonstrated a demand for guidance on healthcare among members of the public with people interested in using clinical guidelines in their care and treatment. However, there is room to improve the public's understanding of the role of clinical guidelines.

Implications: The results provide background information which will feed into the DECIDE project.