ObjectiveTo evaluate the methodological quality of clinical practice guidelines and expert consensus of chronic heart failure domestically and abroad.MethodsPubMed, EMbase, SinoMed, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP databases, and related websites were searched to collect guidelines and expert consensus on chronic heart failure published from January 1st, 2011 to December 31st, 2020. Four reviewers evaluated the methodological quality of the guidelines and expert consensus with the AGREE Ⅱ tool after the consistency evaluation training.ResultsA total of 17 studies were included (consisting of 11 English and 6 Chinese studies). The recommended levels were B level (recommend after modification) for 10 studies and C level (not recommended) for 7 studies. The AGREE Ⅱ standardized mean scores for various fields were 69.61% (scope and purpose), 34.20% (stakeholder involvement), 33.13% (rigor of development), 84.53% (clarity and presentation), 42.40% (applicability), and 37.09% (editorial independence). The methodological quality of English guidelines was generally high (level B for 10 and level C for 1), while all scores of Chinese guidelines or consensus in the 6 fields were mostly lower than the average (level C for 6).ConclusionsThe guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure requires further improvement in terms of stakeholder involvement and rigor of development. It should develop standards and methods to improve the quality for Chinese guidelines and expert consensus to better serve clinical practice.
With the advancement of research on rare ocular diseases such as inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD) has advanced in recent years, especially breakthroughs in therapeutic approaches represented by cell and gene therapy, potential intervention strategies have emerged for these conditions. Establishing standardized endpoints and evaluation methods for visual function in patients with IRD has become crucial for assessing disease progression, safety, and therapeutic efficacy of innovative treatments. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) is widely recognized as one of the primary endpoints for assessing visual function. However, for IRD patients with severe rod photoreceptor dysfunction, who often present with profound low vision or even legal blindness, the applicability of BCVA as a traditional visual function indicator is limited. The multi-luminance mobility test (MLMT) has emerged as a functional visual assessment tool that evaluates the ability to navigate obstacle courses under varying illumination levels. By establishing graded evaluation standards, MLMT objectively quantifies the impact of lighting conditions on patients’ nobility and spatial orientation, providing a novel quantitative tool for assessing visual function in IRD clinical trials. Currently, there is a lack of unified and standardized guidelines for the use of MLMT in China, posing challenges to its implementation in practical clinical research. To address this, Ocular Fundus Disease Society of Chinese Medical Association and Chinese Medical Doctor Association convened a multidisciplinary team comprising clinical experts in genetic retinal diseases, statisticians, and optical specialists to investigate the current applications and technical characteristics of MLMT, ultimately formulating consensus recommendations for its use as a clinical trial endpoint for IRD gene therapies. This consensus aims to provide a set of MLMT operating norms applicable to China's national conditions, guide clinical practice and research in ophthalmology and related disciplines, and promote the standardization process of IRD clinical trials in China, so as to better serve the IRD patient population and promote the development of related fields.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a blinding eye disease of neonates. Early screening and regular follow-up can prevent the disease from leading to serious functional impairment. Rop is classified by the World Health Organization as the prevention target of avoidable blindness in neonates. Since the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China issued "Guidelines for the treatment of oxygen and the prevention and treatment of retinopathy in prematurity" in 2004, the Ophthalmology Group of the Chinese Academy of Ophthalmology has actively promoted the screening and treatment of ROP, and updated "Guidelines for screening retinopathy of prematurity" in China in 2014. After nearly 20 years of hard work, the disease of stage 5 ROP in China has basically disappeared. In order to reasonably grasp the classification criteria of ROP and the indications of drug treatment, Fundus Disease Group of Ophthalmological Society of Chinese Medical Association, Fundus Disease Group of Ophthalmologist Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organize experts in related fields to reach consensus opinions through serious, comprehensive and full discussion, and update the classification of ROP in China and the Chinese translation of new terms with reference to international standard terms. The standard of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drug treatment indication is also added to provide reference for clinicians in clinical practice.
Families are important venues for nutritional management of the elderly, and there is an increasing demand for continuous nutritional management services from hospital to home. It has been 7 years since the publication of the "Chinese expert consensus on home nutrition administration for the elderly (2017 edition)", and with the publication of more research evidence and the practice of home nutrition administration, there is an urgent need to update the 2017 edition of the consensus. A total of 35 recommendations or consensus opinions have been proposed in this consensus update, aiming to guide grassroots related professionals to provide scientific, reasonable and standardized home nutrition management services for the elderly population at home or in the community.
Choroideremia (CHM) is a rare X-linked recessive genetic inherited degeneration. Affected males present with progressively worsening night blindness, visual field loss, and decreased central vision, which can cause blindness in middle age. Although female carriers typically exhibit mild symptoms, it is essential to understand their clinical features for early diagnosis of patients as well as genetic counseling of family members. The pathogenesis of CHM remains incompletely understood, and currently there is no approved effective treatment. To enhance clinicians’ comprehension of CHM and establish standardized clinical approaches to its diagnosis and management, the Chinese Hereditary Ocular Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Group and the Chinese Hereditary Ocular Disease Alliance assembled authoritative experts, through in-depth discussions, formed China's standardized recommedations for the on clinical diagnosis and treatment of CHM. The purpose of this advice is to provide a standardized diagnostic framework, monitoring indicators, and an integrated management strategy for clinicians to use in practice, thereby optimizing the care and genetic guidance for patients with CHM.
The high incidence of hydatid disease in seven northwestern provinces, is one of the reason of "Poverty due to illness, and return poverty due to illness" in China. The incidence of chest hydatid disease in China after hepatic hydatid disease ranks second. Department of thoracic surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University is on the domestic leading position of the treatment of chest hydatid disease. Since 1956 the first case of pulmonary hydatid cyst were completed, we have successfully finished the surgical treatment of pediatric chest hydatid disease, chest hydatid disease complex, huge pulmonary hydatid cyst, mediastinal and pleural hydatid cyst, and rib hydatid in our department. To further standardize the treatment of chest hydatid disease, a special formulation of "technical specification for chest hydatid disease diagnosis expert consensus" by our department were produced, in order to help clinicians treat chest hydatid disease by more suitable strategies. This consensus was released in July 2015, for the original version. The definition, diagnosis, treatment principle, and prevention of chest hydatid disease were elaborated and clinical experiences of 60 years were combined with in this consensus, in order to help the clinicians for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of hydatid disease.
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the microvascular complications of diabetes and a major cause of blindness in adults. Early screening is an effective way to reduce blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy. The diabetic retinopathy is one of the chronic retinal diseases highlighted in the “14th Five-Year” National Eye Health Plan (2021-2025). The establishment of effective and practical community screening model is a powerful guarantee to complete early screening. It is of great significance to standardize screening methods, screening personnel duties, equipment allocation, referral conditions and screening sustainability. Chinese fundus disease and related field experts developed the consensus through a serious, comprehensive, and complete discussion, to provide more reference for establishing a suitable community screening model of diabetic retinopathy and increasing the screening rate of diabetic retinopathy.
Clinical practice guidelines need to be based on evidence, but traditional Chinese medicine, especially integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine guidelines, inevitably need to combine clinical research evidence, ancient literature, and expert experience and consensus. In the process of formulating, there are deviations in understanding and application of the expert consensus method and expert experience, resulting in opaque of the recommendations, unclear of the details of the diagnosis and treatment strategy, less prominent of the advantages and value of traditional Chinese medicine, which affects the scientificity, transparency, applicability, promotion and application of the guidelines of traditional Chinese medicine or integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. This study discusses the guiding principle of "evidence as a core, consensus as a supplement, and experience as a reference" that was generally followed and puts forward detailed methodological suggestions to the formulation of guidelines for traditional Chinese medicine and integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is more advanced stage in diabetic retinopathy (DR), often with vitreous hemorrhages and traction retinal detachment which seriously affects patients' vision and even leads to severe visual impairment. Pars plana vitrectomy is an effective treatment for PDR. However, the operation procedure is quite complexed. Inadequate management can negatively impact postoperative vision or even lead to complications. Therefore, it is very important to clarify the surgical indications and standardize the operating procedures of PDR. To this end, Fundus Disease Group of Ophthalmological Society of Chinese Medical Association, Fundus Disease Group of Ophthalmologist Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Expert Group of Expert consensus for pars plana vitrectomy treatment of type 2 diabetic retinopathy focus on 9 key clinical issues, based on the latest evidence-based medical evidence, combined with international guidelines and China's social and economic development. Recommendations were made on the selection of DR Surgery timing, perioperative blood glucose management, surgical mode selection, formulation of surgical operation plan, drug combination or laser therapy, etc., which formed China's expert consensus on pars plana vitrectomy in the treatment of type 2 DR. This consensus is applicable to Chinese doctors specializing in fundus diseases and doctors engaged in fundus diseases, aiming to provide scientific guidance for vitreous surgery treatment of PDR patients, assist clinical decision-making, and further improve the level of surgical treatment of DR in China.
The population of various fundus diseases in China is vast, and the number of patients is continuously increasing due to the aging population. In contrast, fundus disease awareness among the general public in China is low, and grassroots screening needs urgent improvement. At the same time, the diagnosis and treatment rate are quite low, and the treatment methods for late-stage diseases are limited, resulting in poor prognosis of visual function and high blindness rate. Chronic fundus diseases require long-term, standardized treatment and long-term follow-up, which can be burdensome for patients, leading to high missed visit rates and reduced therapeutic effects. The "14th Five-Year Plan for Eye Health (2021-2025)" clearly put forward the requirements of strengthening the construction of the fundus disease prevention and control system. We urgently need to develop a management model for chronic diseases of fundus diseases tailored to China's national conditions. This will require establishing corresponding management platforms, improving personnel allocation, and enhancing compliance in the treatment of fundus diseases, to improve treatment effectiveness and fundamentally reduce blindness rates. After China's authoritative experts in the field of fundus diseases through the organization of in-depth and comprehensive thematic discussion, and the use of the improved version of Delphi method for collective decision-making and opinion consultation, a series of consensus guidance and suggestions were finally formed. These valuable professional insights will strongly promote the establishment of an appropriate chronic fundus disease management system in China, ensure that patients with fundus disease get long-term, standardized medical services, and lay a solid foundation for improving the overall prevention and treatment of fundus diseases.
