Table 1 Characteristic of included clinical practice guidelines N(%)
The baseline characteristics of guidelines | GRADE CPGsa (n = 45) | TCM CPGsb (n = 262) | Totalc (n = 307) |
|---|---|---|---|
Type of guidelines | |||
 Routine evidence-based guidelines | 26(57.8) | 234(89.3) | 260(84.7) |
 Rapid recommendations | 16(35.6) | 0(0.0) | 16(5.2) |
 Adaptation guideline | 2(4.4) | 6(2.3) | 8(2.6) |
 Living guideline | 1(2.2) | 0(0.0) | 1(0.3) |
 Non-evidence-based guideline | 0(0.0) | 22(8.4) | 22(7.2) |
Scope of guidelines | |||
 Treatment | 19(42.2) | 118(45.0) | 137(44.6) |
 Diagnosis | 1(2.2) | 0(0.0) | 1(0.3) |
 Managementd | 13(28.9) | 7(2.7) | 20(6.5) |
 Treatment and diagnosis | 1(2.2) | 137(52.3)e | 138(45.0) |
 Prevention | 6(13.3) | 0(0.0) | 6(2.0) |
 Screening | 3(6.7) | 0(0.0) | 3(1.0) |
 Othersf | 2(4.4) | 0(0.0) | 2(0.7) |
Discipline | |||
 Internal medicine | 32(71.1) | 157(59..9) | 189(61.6) |
 Surgery | 3(6.7) | 54(20.6) | 57(18.6) |
 Gynaecology or Andrology | 1(2.2) | 25(9.5) | 26(8.5) |
 Paediatrics | 1(2.2) | 18(6.9) | 19(6.2) |
 COVID-19 | 5(11.1) | 3(1.1) | 8(2.6) |
 Othersg | 3(6.7) | 5(1.9) | 8(2.6) |
What to access using the GRADE approaches | |||
 Certainty of evidence and strength and direction of the recommendation | 45(100.0) | 105(40.1) | 150(48.9) |
 Certainty of evidence | 0(0.0) | 14(5.3) | 14(4.6) |
 Strength and direction of the recommendation | 0(0.0) | 12(4.6) | 12(3.9) |
 Not applied | 0(0.0) | 131(50.0) | 131(42.7) |
Report certainty of evidence and strength and direction of the recommendations | |||
 Report certainty of evidence and strength and direction of the recommendations | 45(100.0) | 202(77.1) | 247(80.5) |
 Only report the certainty of evidence | 0(0.0) | 5(1.9) | 5(1.6) |
 Only report the strength and direction of the recommendations | 0(0.0) | 20(7.6) | 20(6.5) |
 Neither reported | 0(0.0) | 35(13.4) | 35(11.4) |