Neumann I, Alonso-Coello P, Vandvik PO, Agoritsas T, Mas G, Akl EA, et al.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology , Article in press.
Abstract
Background
Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines provide recommendations to assist clinicians in decision-making and to reduce the gap between best current research evidence and clinical practice. However, some argue that providing pre-appraised evidence summaries alone, rather than recommendations, is more appropriate.
Objectives
To evaluate clinicians’ preferences, understanding of the evidence and intended course of action in response to evidence summaries with and without recommendations.
Methods
We included practicing clinicians attending educational sessions across 10 countries. Clinicians were randomized to receive relevant clinical scenarios supported by research evidence of low or very-low certainty, and accompanied by either strong or weak recommendations developed with the GRADE system. Within each group, participants were further randomized to receive the recommendation plus the corresponding evidence summary or the evidence summary alone. We evaluated participants’ preferences and understanding for the presentation strategy as well as their intended course of action.
Results
189/219 (86%) and 201/248 (81%) participants preferred having recommendations accompanying evidence summaries for both strong and weak recommendations, respectively. Across all scenarios less than half of participants correctly interpreted information provided in the evidences summaries (e.g. estimates of effect, certainty in the research evidence). Presence of a recommendation resulted in a more appropriate intended course of action for two scenarios involving strong recommendations.
Discussion
Evidence summaries alone are not enough to impact clinicians’ course of action. Clinicians clearly prefer having recommendations accompanying evidence summaries in the context of low or very-low certainty of evidence (Trial registration NCT02006017).
