Assessing methodological quality of Russian clinical practice guidelines and introducing AGREE II instrument in Russia

BACKGROUND: There are multiple organisations in Russia that publish clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). The demand for CPGs and appreciation of their role in healthcare provision has been steadily growing. However, quality and methodology of development of CPGs have not been systematically addressed. AIM: To analyse the quality of Russian-produced CPGs for surgical treatment of hepatic-pancreatic-biliary diseases. METHODS: We searched Russian databases for CPGs, published between 2013 and 2017. We identified 6 relevant documents that met our inclusion criteria. We approached four experts in the field with written and verbal instructions on the use of the AGREE II questionnaire. RESULTS: All six CPGs received the highest domain scores for the domain Clarity of Presentation (46%–80%). The lowest domain scores were for the domain Editorial Independence (6%-25%). Overall, the experts put the highest total sum scores to the CPG for treating chronic pancreatitis (70%), while the lowest total sum score was attributed to the CPG for treating acute cholangitis (22%). CONCLUSIONS: The overall quality of CPGs, as assessed by the four experts with the AGREE II instrument, was low. The highest scoring, best organized and most comprehensive and straightforward CPG was the one for chronic pancreatitis. The AGREE II instrument should be considered for use in Russia by guideline developers to assess existing CPGs and inform the creation of new guidelines.