Article
Perception of childbirth professionals regarding the use and implementation barriers of clinical practice guidelines
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Authors
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I. Etxeandia-Ikobaltzeta
- Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment - OSTEBA, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
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D. Rada-Fernandez de Jauregui
- The University of the Basque Country - UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
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E. Reviriego-Rodrigo
- Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment - OSTEBA, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
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R. Rico-Iturrioz
- Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment - OSTEBA, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| Published: | July 10, 2012 |
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Outline
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Background: The establishment of the national Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) program has meant a marked increase in the quality of the guidelines produced. The CPG for Normal Childbirth was published in 2010.
Objectives: To determine the degree of the use of guidelines and barriers to their implementation identified by childbirth professionals.
Methods: A national survey was developed consisting of 28 questions classified into three areas (Knowledge, Use of CPGs and Applicability of the Normal Childbirth guideline) which was submitted anonymously, via the professional midwives and obstetricians associations, to 1,107 professionals in July 2011. Data were collected in October 2011. Herein results regarding the use and implementation barriers of CPGs are presented.
Results: A total of 629 (57%) hospital professionals answered the survey, although only 388 (35%) provided information regarding their demographic and professional characteristics. Some 66% of professionals use guidelines and recognize ‘the support of scientific societies for the CPG’ (93%), ‘training program’ (91%), and that ‘the institution evaluates the use of CPG’ (87%) to be key facilitating factors for their use. The most important barriers include ‘low methodological rigor when formulating recommendations’ (91%), their ‘lack of practicality and flexibility’ (84%) and the ‘high cost of their implementation’ (72%).
Discussion and Implications: The findings show a good acceptance and use of high quality guidelines, although greater institutional participation in training and assessment may improve compliance with their recommendations.
