gms | German Medical Science

Background: The Program for German National Disease-Management-Guidelines (NVL) is among others based on 1. Existing German Guideline-Clearing-Reports (GG-CR) and 2. Adaptation of Guidelines. How far GG-CRs were considered by NVL should be systematically checked.

Objectives: To analyze the implementation of GG-CRs into German NVL and to aid this by graphics.

Methods: Analysis of the application of GG-CR recommendation in the NVL-contents and synopsis of the information in a text-based table. Based on this synopsis, the information of application was coded related to each recommendation, following the chapters of the GG-CR. The codes given were numbers, addressing content/recommendation only in GG-CR with '1' and content/recommendation either in GG-CR and NVL with '2'. The codes were transferred in Spidernet-diagrams to show the fulfillment of application. The application by chapter was calculated and coded additionally to show the degree of fulfillment over the whole NVL by percent-range.

Results: The text-tables contained a dozen columns and several 100 rows and were neither clear nor useable. The graphics drawn out of the table were useable with one view. They offer an overview e.g. on aspects of adaptation of the sources in a guideline like the NVL.

Discussion: Complex synopses e.g. of guidelines and their sources can be systematically aided by graphics in the form of Spidernet-diagrams. This information can ease the discussion of e.g. the author-panels and give a better overview on content-related questions e.g. for public reporting.

Implications for guideline developers/users: Analyses aided by Spidernet-diagrams should be considered as a standard for guideline developers/users.