An independent AGREE evaluation of the Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: A large number of practice guidelines are being produced by numerous organizations. Health-care professionals need to critically evaluate these practice guidelines to understand whether they are well constructed and representative of the preponderance of evidence. The guideline development process should be precise and rigorous to ensure that the results are reproducible and not vague. PURPOSE: To evaluate the quality of the second edition of the practice guidelines published by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM Guidelines). STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Four appraisers used the AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation) guideline evaluation instrument to evaluate the ACOEM Guidelines. METHODS: The Guidelines were evaluated with the AGREE guideline evaluation instrument. The AGREE instrument has been widely adopted around the world, and the authors recommended that it be adopted as the standard of guideline construction process evaluation in the United States. The instrument standardizes the quantitative assessment of quality for a guideline's development process across six domains that include: scope and purpose, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity and presentation, application, and editorial independence. Scores from four assessors were collected and interpreted. Additionally, each evaluator selected one of four global assessment choices: "strongly recommended for use in practice," "recommended for use with some modification or proviso," "not recommended as suitable for use in practice," or "unsure". RESULTS: The ACOEM Guidelines scored highest in the dimensions that evaluated reporting of the guideline's scope and purpose (79.63) as well as clarity and presentation (86.81). The guideline scored much lower in the remaining areas that included stakeholder involvement (46.06), rigor of development (26.59), application (31.48), and editorial independence (19.17). The global assessment was unanimous with all four evaluators assessing the guideline as recommend with proviso. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the Guidelines recommendations were consistent with current literature and guidelines; however, the AGREE assessment instrument evaluates the guideline development process and not the content. All the evaluators thought the content of the guidelines was substantially better than the documentation of the guideline construction process. The ACOEM Guidelines appear to have content consistent with their stated objectives, but the reporting of the guidelines construction process, particularly the rigor of recommendation development, is flawed, and the recommendations may not be valid owing to possible evidence selection deficiencies. The reader should consider these flaws and limitations when using the guideline. The reader should consider utilizing guidelines of higher quality when possible. Future guidelines should incorporate better reporting and give closer attention to guideline construction.     

中国老年骨质疏松症诊疗指南（2018）

根据国内外循证医学指南制定标准化方法与步骤,组建多学科指南制定专家工作组,先后经过指南注册及指南计划书撰写、相关指南评价分析、临床问题遴选和确定、临床证据检索及评价、形成推荐意见等流程,经共识专家组3轮讨论,最终制定中国老年骨质疏松症诊疗指南(2018)。使用GRADE系统对证据体和推荐意见进行分级。同时考虑中国患者的偏好与价值观、干预措施的成本和利弊平衡为老年骨质疏松症的诊疗提供15条推荐意见。该指南涵盖了老年骨质疏松症的筛查、风险评估、诊断、基础措施、多种抗骨质疏松药物、疗效监测和评估等方面。本指南旨在为我国广大临床医生和患者提供科学依据。     

Provider Adherence to Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Neurogenic Bowel in Adults With Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have been published on a number of topics in spinal cord injury (SCI) medicine. Research in the general medical literature shows that the distribution of CPGs has a minimal effect on physician practice without targeted implementation strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether dissemination of an SCI CPG improved the likelihood that patients would receive CPG recommended care and (b) whether adherence to CPG recommendations could be improved through a targeted implementation strategy. Specifically, this study addressed the " Neurogenic Bowel Management in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury" Clinical Practice Guideline published in March 1998 by the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine

Methods: CPG adherence was determined from medical record review at 6 Veterans Affairs SCI centers for 3 time periods: before guideline publication (T1 ), after guideline publication but before CPG implementation (T2), and after targeted CPG implementation (T3). Specific implementation strategies to enhance guideline adherence were chosen to address the barriers identified by SCI providers in focus groups before the intervention.

Results: Overall adherence to recommendations related to neurogenic bowel did not change between T1 and T2 (P = not significant) but increased significantly between T2 and T3 (P < 0.001) for 3 of 6 guideline recommendations. For the other 3 guideline recommendations, adherence rates were noted to be high at T1.

Conclusions: While publication of the CPG alone did not alter rates of provider adherence, the use of a targeted implementation plan resulted in increases in adherence rates with some (3 of 6) CPG recommendations for neurogenic bowel management.     

Provider adherence to implementation of clinical practice guidelines for neurogenic bowel in adults with spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have been published on a number of topics in spinal cord injury (SCI) medicine. Research in the general medical literature shows that the distribution of CPGs has a minimal effect on physician practice without targeted implementation strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether dissemination of an SCI CPG improved the likelihood that patients would receive CPG recommended care and (b) whether adherence to CPG recommendations could be improved through a targeted implementation strategy. Specifically, this study addressed the "Neurogenic Bowel Management in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury" Clinical Practice Guideline published in March 1998 by the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine METHODS: CPG adherence was determined from medical record review at 6 Veterans Affairs SCI centers for 3 time periods: before guideline publication (T1), after guideline publication but before CPG implementation (T2), and after targeted CPG implementation (T3). Specific implementation strategies to enhance guideline adherence were chosen to address the barriers identified by SCI providers in focus groups before the intervention. RESULTS: Overall adherence to recommendations related to neurogenic bowel did not change between T1 and T2 (P = not significant) but increased significantly between T2 and T3 (P < 0.001) for 3 of 6 guideline recommendations. For the other 3 guideline recommendations, adherence rates were noted to be high at T1. CONCLUSIONS: While publication of the CPG alone did not alter rates of provider adherence, the use of a targeted implementation plan resulted in increases in adherence rates with some (3 of 6) CPG recommendations for neurogenic bowel management.     

Possibilities for transborder cooperation in breast cancer care in Europe: a comparative analysis regarding the content, quality and evidence use of breast cancer guidelines

To encourage transborder cooperation in breast cancer care in Europe, we explored possibilities with the German-Dutch border area as an example. Evidence-based breast cancer guidelines were searched and compared on the: (1) methodological quality (with AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation)), (2) content of recommendations and (3) evidence use. The methodological quality of the German (n=2) and Dutch guidelines (n=2) was generally sufficient and comparable, although the applicability and the editorial independence were not clearly documented in the Dutch guidelines. Regarding the content analysis, German recommendations were taken as a reference point, because of the highest AGREE scores. Twenty-one of 25 recommendations discussed in both guidelines were corresponding and 4 were different, 32 were not mentioned in the Dutch guideline. The guidelines shared little evidence (< or =11%). We conclude that there are possibilities to encourage transborder cooperation. The clinical context of our results should be examined by measuring the actual care in both countries preferably with quality indicators.     

Influence of smoking habits on change in carbon monoxide transfer factor over 10 years in middle aged men.

BACKGROUND: Emphysema is associated with a reduction in carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (TLCO/VA), but little is known about the evolution of changes in TLCO/VA in middle aged smokers at risk of developing chronic airflow obstruction. METHODS: TLCO/VA (single breath method) was measured on two occasions 10 years apart in 122 middle aged men. RESULTS: Initially TLCO/VA averaged 97% predicted in never smokers (n = 42, mean age 37.2 years), 99% predicted in ex-smokers (n = 21, mean age 41.9 years), and 85% predicted in those who smoked over 15 cigarettes a day (n = 42, mean age 42.0 years). Mean rates of decrease in TLCO/VA over 10 years, however, were similar in the three groups, so that differences between smokers and non-smokers did not increase during the 10 years. Seventeen men (mean age 40.9 years) who initially were smokers became sustained ex-smokers within two years of the first measurement; in these men mean absolute values of TLCO/VA rose, averaging 89% predicted at the first assessment but 102% predicted 10 years later. CONCLUSION: By the age of about 40 years TLCO/VA was lower in smokers than in never smokers but this difference did not increase over the following 10 years. Sustained ex-smokers had values similar to those of never smokers even when TLCO/VA was known to have been reduced while they were smoking. Changes in TLCO/VA associated with stopping smoking were considerably larger than could be explained by carbon monoxide back pressure, indicating that mechanisms other than irreversible increase in the size of terminal air spaces underlie the lower values in smokers. To detect emphysema in smokers it is necessary to use reference equations that take account of current smoking.     

Influenza infection control guidance provided to staff at Veterans Affairs facilities for veterans with spinal cord injury during a pandemic

Abstract

Context/objective

To assess guidance provided to staff at Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facilities on H1N1 influenza infection control for veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D).

Study design

Cross-sectional qualitative semi-structured interviews.

Setting

Thirty-three VA healthcare facilities from throughout the United States that provide care to veterans with SCI/D.

Participants

Thirty-three infection control key informants, each representing a VA healthcare facility.

Interventions

None.

Outcome measures

Infection control practices, including vaccination practices, hospital preparedness, and recommendations for future pandemics, both in general and specifically to SCI/D.

Results

Most (n = 26, 78.8%) infection control key informants believed veterans with SCI/D were at increased risk for influenza and complications, but only 17 (51.5%) said veterans with SCI/D were treated as a priority group for vaccination at their facilities. There was little special guidance provided for treating veterans with SCI/D, and most (n = 28, 84.8%) informants said that infection control procedures and recommendations were applied universally. Yet, 10 key informants discussed ‘unique challenges’ to infection control in the SCI/D population. Informants discussed the potential for infectious agents to be spread through shared and common use equipment and the necessity of including caregivers in any vaccination or educational campaigns.

Conclusion

Greater input by experts knowledgeable about SCI/D is recommended to adequately address pandemic influenza within healthcare facilities where individuals with SCI/D receive care.     

Video assessment of basic surgical trainees' operative skills

BACKGROUND: We previously described a feasible, reliable, valid, and acceptable clinical assessment form for basic surgical trainees (BSTs). We now recently assessed tissue-handling skills using real-time assessment (RTA) and video assessment (VA) and addressed feasibility, reliability, validity, and trainer-trainee agreement using the same assessment form. METHODS: Nine BSTs were videotaped as they performed open inguinal hernia repairs at 6 and 12 months of surgical training. Edited videotapes were independently rated by 7 consultants and 5 trainees using the technical part of the Edinburgh BST Assessment Form (EBSTAF-Tech), the Toronto Global Rating Scale of Surgical Performance (Toronto scale), and a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: RTA and VA both proved to be reliable tools (RTA alpha > or = .85; VA alpha > or = .76; interclass correlation coefficient [ICC] > or = .69, rho > or = .694 [P < or = .004]), but RTA was not construct valid. VA scores distinguished consultant from trainee operators (Mann-Whitney P < .02), with trainers able to discriminate between trainee levels (Wilcoxon P = .01 to .023). Concurrent validity was demonstrated by the VA (trainers tau-b = .71 to .79 [P < .001] and trainees tau-b = .79 to .82 [P < .001]) with good trainer-trainee agreement (EBSTAF-Tech tau-b = .35 [P = .03), Toronto tau-b = .46 [P = .006), and visual analogue scale tau-b = .46 [P = .006]). CONCLUSIONS: VA of BST tissue-handling skills is feasible, reliable, valid, and highly sensitive. It may also improve trainee self-assessment skills by promoting reflective practice.     

Special Issue: KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for the Care of Kidney Transplant Recipients

The 2009 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) clinical practice guideline on the monitoring, management, and treatment of kidney transplant recipients is intended to assist the practitioner caring for adults and children after kidney transplantation. The guideline development process followed an evidence-based approach, and management recommendations are based on systematic reviews of relevant treatment trials. Critical appraisal of the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations followed the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The guideline makes recommendations for immunosuppression, graft monitoring, as well as prevention and treatment of infection, cardiovascular disease, malignancy, and other complications that are common in kidney transplant recipients, including hematological and bone disorders. Limitations of the evidence, especially on the lack of definitive clinical outcome trials, are discussed and suggestions are provided for future research.     

《新入职护士规范化培训大纲》的践行与效果评价

目的贯彻落实国家卫生与计划生育委员会颁布的《新入职护士规范化培训大纲(试行)》,探索肿瘤专科医院新入职护士规范化培训与管理方法,提高肿瘤专科护士岗位胜任能力。方法根据《新入职护士规范化培训大纲(试行)》要求,结合肿瘤专科医院特点制定新入职护士培训方案。对37名新护士采用全脱产集中理论授课培训、模拟病房和临床路径的操作培训方案,考核方法采用微信推送题目考核、个案考核、临床实践能力考核。结果新护士培训后理论知识考核(87.08±6.64)分,操作技能(93.59±0.75)分;科室对新入职护士各方面表现的过程考核10名优秀,22名良好,5名合格;对新入职护士晚夜班能力考核26名优秀,11名良好。结论新护士规范化培训使其临床护理能力得到全面提高。专科医院应以《新入职护士规范化培训大纲(试行)》为蓝本,制定适合自己医院的新入职护士培训大纲,以提高临床护士岗位能力。     

Development of an inter-professional clinical practice guideline for vocational evaluation following severe burn

Purpose

To develop an inter-professional clinical practice guideline for vocational evaluation following severe burn.

Methods

The Canadian Medical Association's (CMA) handbook on clinical practice guideline and the appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation (AGREE) were used to develop the guideline. The following steps from the CMA handbook were followed: (1) identifying the guideline's objective and questions; (2) systematic literature review; (3) study selection and quality appraisal and (4) development of clear recommendations by key stakeholders. The international classification of function and disability was used as a guiding theoretical framework.

Results

The guideline includes recommendations within seven domains: (1) establishing evaluation purpose and consent; (2) history taking and information gathering; (3) assessment of functional systems: body systems and structures; (4) assessment of functional systems: activity limitations and participation restrictions; (5) identification of key personal and environmental factors; (6) analysis and synthesis; (7) development of evaluation recommendations.

Conclusions

This guideline insures that vocational evaluators use an evidence-based approach to systematically assess elements within the individual, the work, workplace, personal and environmental facilitators and barriers to work participation. The guideline may be useful to clinicians, healthcare teams, employers and individuals with severe burns. Future steps will include guideline pilot testing and endorsement.     

乳腺癌相关淋巴水肿评估与管理指南的质量评价与内容分析

目的 对乳腺癌相关淋巴水肿评估与管理的相关指南进行质量评价和内容分析,为我国本土化乳腺癌相关淋巴水肿评估与管理指南的制定提供参考.方法 计算机检索国内外指南网站、相关专业协会网站及中英文数据库,搜集乳腺癌相关淋巴水肿评估与管理相关指南.采用AGREE Ⅱ评价纳入指南的质量,并对各指南推荐意见进行汇总分析.结果 最终纳入...     

Restrictive red blood cell transfusion: not just for the stable intensive care unit patient

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies report that patients receiving red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in the intensive care unit (ICU) are more likely to experience complications. Despite these findings, surgical patients are frequently transfused for operative procedures, trauma, and burns. We hypothesized that a RBC transfusion guideline would safely decrease our use of RBC transfusions in the ICU and lower the hematocrit at which our trauma and burn patients were transfused, both in the stable and symptomatic patient. METHODS: For each episode of RBC transfusion, the pretransfusion vital signs and reasons for transfusion were recorded prospectively from August 2003 through April 2004. Before institution of the transfusion guideline, which stressed withholding transfusion for hematocrit over 23 in asymptomatic patients, intensive education of all caregivers occurred. Data from all transfusions during 2005 were also reviewed for long-term compliance with the guideline. RESULTS: Eighty-two of 316 ICU patients (26%) had 315 RBC transfusion events during the initial study period. Mean transfusion hematocrits decreased from 26.6 +/- 4.7 to 23.9 +/- 2.6 (P < .0003) for all patients. For the follow-up period in 2005, 94 of 523 patients (18%) were transfused in the ICU at a mean transfusion hematocrit of 24.1 for symptomatic (P < .0001) and 22.5 for asymptomatic patients (P < .0001). Low hematocrit was the most frequently cited reason for transfusion for all patients in the first part of the study, whereas hemodynamic instability (n = 91 events) and perioperative losses (n = 49 events) ranked highest for symptomatic patients. CONCLUSION: A transfusion guideline accompanied by intensive education is effective in reducing RBC transfusions in a trauma-burn ICU. A lower hematocrit was well tolerated in both the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups of surgical patients. With education and follow-up, the changes in transfusion practices were durable and affected transfusion practices for both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.     

Implementation of pressure ulcer prevention best practice recommendations in acute care: an observational study

Pressure ulcers are a common but preventable problem in hospitals. Implementation of best practice guideline recommendations can prevent ulcers from occurring. This 9‐year cohort study reports prevalence data from point prevalence surveys during the observation period, and three practice metrics to assess implementation of best practice guideline recommendations: (i) nurse compliance with use of a validated pressure ulcer risk assessment and intervention checklist; (ii) accuracy of risk assessment scoring in usual‐care nurses and experienced injury prevention nurses; and (iii) use of pressure ulcer prevention strategies. The prevalence of hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers decreased following implementation of an evidence‐based prevention programme from 12·6% (2 years preprogramme implementation) to 2·6% (6 years postprogramme implementation) (P < 0·001). Audits between 2003 and 2011 of 4368 patient medical records identified compliance with pressure ulcer prevention documentation according to best practice guidelines was high (>84%). A sample of 270 patients formed the sample for the study of risk assessment scoring accuracy and use of prevention strategies. It was found usual‐care nurses under‐estimated patients' risk of pressure ulcer development and under‐utilised prevention strategies compared with experienced injury prevention nurses. Despite a significant reduction in prevalence of hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers and high documentation compliance, use of prevention strategies could further be improved to achieve better patient outcomes. Barriers to the use of prevention strategies by nurses in the acute hospital setting require further examination. This study provides important insights into the knowledge translation of pressure ulcer prevention best practice guideline recommendations at The Northern Hospital.     

Excerpt From PHS Guideline for Reducing HIV,HBV and HCV Transmission Through Organ Transplantation

The intent of the PHS guideline is to improve organ transplant recipient outcomes by reducing the risk of unexpected HIV, HBV and HCV transmission, while preserving the availability of high‐quality organs. An evidence‐based approach was used to identify the most relevant studies and reports on which to formulate the recommendations. This excerpt from the guideline comprises (1) the executive summary; (2) 12 criteria for assessment of risk factors for recent HIV, HBV and HCV infection; (3) 34 recommendations on risk assessment (screening) of living and deceased donors; testing of living and deceased donors; informed consent discussion with transplant candidates; testing of recipients pre‐ and posttransplant; collection and/or storage of donor and recipient specimens; and tracking and reporting of HIV, HBV and HCV; and (4) 20 recommendations for further study. For the PHS guideline in its entirety, including the background, methodology and primary evidence underlying the recommendations, refer to the source document in Public Health Reports, accessible at http://www.publichealthreports.org/issuecontents.cfm?Volume=128&Issue=4 . For more in‐depth information on the evidence base, including tables of all study‐level data, refer to Solid Organ Transplantation and the Probability of Transmitting HIV, HBV or HCV: A Systematic Review to Support an Evidence‐Based Guideline, accessible at http://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/12164/ .

     

Lay assessment of health care services using therapy for rectal cancer as an example

AIM: Multimodal treatment strategies make the assessment of health care services very difficult even for experts and almost impossible for lay persons. The aim of this project was to present complex data from scientific publications in a simplified way so that all essential information is preserved, but still assessable by lay persons and to compare their assessments with the recommendations of experts. METHODS: Using the surgical treatment of rectal cancer with or without preoperative radiation as an example, the aims of treatment as well as the "outcomes" (actually intended study endpoints) and "outputs" (surrogate parameters) were defined, identified and presented graphically for five key studies of neoadjuvant treatment. RESULTS: German lay persons (n = 59) favoured in the majority of the cases (93 %) surgical treatment without preoperative radiation. Lay persons assessed the results in a similar manner to other groups (physicians, health care workers, and health care politicians) and lay persons of other cultural backgrounds. Altogether, the participants (n = 152) favoured surgical treatment without preoperative therapy in 86 % of the cases (653 of 760). This lay assessment did not correlate with the assessments and recommendations of the scientific societies responsible for the guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Complex scientific results can be prepared in such a way that their assessment by lay persons is feasible. Lay persons orientate their assessment according to the outcomes, while the recommendations of the guidelines are more directed by the outputs. These different viewpoints should be taken more into consideration for the development of guidelines than they are now.     

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Web-Based Intervention to Disseminate Clinical Practice Guidelines for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The PTSD Clinicians Exchange

Delivery of best-practice care for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a priority for clinicians working with active duty military personnel and veterans. The PTSD Clinicians Exchange, an Internet-based intervention, was designed to assist in disseminating clinically relevant information and resources that support delivery of key practices endorsed in the Veterans Administration (VA)–Department of Defense (DoD) Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of the Clinicians Exchange intervention in increasing familiarity and perceived benefits of 26 CPG-related and emerging practices. The intervention consisted of ongoing access to an Internet resource featuring best-in-class resources for practices, self-management of burnout, and biweekly e-mail reminders highlighting selected practices. Mental health clinicians (N = 605) were recruited from three service sectors (VA, DoD, community); 32.7% of participants assigned to the Internet intervention accessed the site to view resources. Individuals who were offered the intervention increased their practice familiarity ratings significantly more than those assigned to a newsletter-only control condition, d = 0.27, p = .005. From baseline to 12-months, mean familiarity ratings of clinicians in the intervention group increased from 3.0 to 3.4 on scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely); mean ratings for the control group were 3.2 at both assessments. Clinicians generally viewed the CPG practices favorably, rating them as likely to benefit their clients. The results suggest that Internet-based resources may aid more comprehensive efforts to disseminate CPGs, but increasing clinician engagement will be important.     

Practice patterns versus practice guidelines in pediatric otitis media.

OBJECTIVE: To study the practice patterns of physicians and their adherence to an evidence-based practice guideline (PG) on pediatric otitis media with effusion. We hypothesized that overall knowledge of the recommendations from the guidelines would be less than 75%, and that specialist physicians would have better knowledge of the recommendations than generalist physicians. METHODS: We performed a survey study of 1167 otolaryngologists, pediatricians, and pediatric otolaryngologists. Each physician was sent a 6-item survey asking about their practice patterns and treatment preferences for young children with otitis media with effusion. We compared responses between different specialties. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 48%. Only 8 (1.4%) of the 558 responding physicians answered all 6 items congruent with the PG. Overall, pediatricians, otolaryngologists, and pediatric otolaryngologists had similar total scores, but different scores on individual items. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the practice patterns of pediatricians, otolaryngologists, and pediatric otolaryngologists differ from the recommendations of an evidence-based PG. In particular, 2 items covering key treatment recommendations were answered in agreement with the PG by fewer than half of the physicians. It is not clear from this study whether these discrepancies were due to poor dissemination or knowledge concerning the PG, or disagreement with its recommendations.     

Erstellung einer S3-Leitlinie „Einsatz der extrakorporalen Zirkulation (ECLS/ECMO) bei Herz- und Kreislaufversagen“

In Germany, the ever-increasing use of mechanical extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) systems has been observed over the last few years. In 2015, more than 2,800 ECLS/ECMO implantations were carried out in Germany. Despite this widespread use of the systems, the only national and international guidelines that are available are those in which the use of ECMO/ECLS is described as just one aspect of complex treatment cascades for various illnesses. Against this background it appears necessary to draft evidence-based recommendations on the complex management of patients who need and receive ECMO/ECLS treatment, in which staff-related, procedural and infrastructural requirements are defined.Therefore, in July 2015, the German Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (GSTCVS) registered an S3 guideline with the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF).The aim of this interdisciplinary and multiprofessional guideline is to provide substantiated recommendations on the use of extracorporeal procedures (extracorporeal life support/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) in cases of cardiac, circulatory, and cardiopulmonary failure.With the aim of drawing up a methodically high-quality guideline, the project management was designed according to the internationally accepted quality criteria for guidelines, “The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation” (AGREE) and the Germany Guideline Evaluation Instrument (DELBI).     

Geriatric assessment tool application in treatment recommendations for older women with breast cancer

IntroductionTreatment of early breast cancer in older women is usually not guideline concordant owing to lack of routine evaluation of their potential frailty. We assessed the feasibility and impact of a self-administered geriatric assessment on the decision-making process in women aged 65 and above treated in a UK District General Hospital.MethodsOne hundred and one patients, aged 65 and above, with early stage, non-metastatic breast cancer were prospectively recruited between Dec-2018 and March-2021. Patients with metastatic breast cancer, a previous history of cancer and dementia were excluded. All patients had a geriatric assessment with a self-administered questionnaire (mycarg.org). All cases were discussed in the multidisciplinary meeting (MDT) and a pre geriatric assessment recommendations was made, based on the tumour grade, size, node status and receptor status. The findings of the assessment were later discussed in a second meeting and a further recommendation was made based on the geriatric assessment. Any change in the proposed treatment was recorded. Potential factors (age, Body Mass Index, co-morbidities, medications, instrumental activities of daily living, and basic activities of daily living, social support and psychological status) associated with a change in the treatment recommendation were compared using Pearson's Chi square tests for categorized data, and Mann Whitney U test for continuous data. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to test the association between geriatric assessment domains and change in treatment decision. The multivariate model was built using variables which were associated in the bivariate analysis with a p-value< 0.20.ResultsPatients aged less than 70 years were more likely to be diagnosed through screening programme as compared to older women (64.4% vs. 35.6%, p = 0.001).Self-administered geriatric assessment identified patients who were requiring assistance in their daily routine activities, and hence, were assessed to have higher morbidity status. A third of patients required assistance in their routine activities, with 18/101 patients requiring significant help during self-care. 90% patients were independent for Activity of Daily Living (ADL) at baseline and 34.76% for Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL).Among the 101 patients evaluated, proposed change in the initial cancer treatment plan was made in 21.8% of patients after the second MDT. Omission of chemotherapy was recommended in 4 patients, omission of radiotherapy in 15 patients and omission of both chemo and radiotherapy in 2 patients. One patient was advised to omit Zolidronic acid, as she was noted to have renal impairment. No patient in this cohort had suggestion for omission of surgery or endocrine therapy. In the bivariate analysis, need for assistance for activities of daily living (ADLs), low physical performance (KPS), polypharmacy (3 or more medications), lack of social support as assessed using the Social Support: Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey and high BMI (30 or more) all showed significance but on multivariate analysis only polypharmacy was significantly associated with change in the initial cancer treatment plan.ConclusionsThe results of this study of breast cancer patients aged 65 and above suggest that a self-administered geriatric assessment may influence treatment recommendations in a subset of patients. Recommendations that were influenced by the geriatric assessment mainly included those related to the significant morbidity that may have impacted the use of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.