Identifying the quantity and assessing the quality of clinical practice guidelines for the treatment and management of type 2 diabetes: A systematic review

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a condition where the body becomes insulin resistant and cannot use insulin made by the pancreas or is relatively insulin deficient causing high blood glucose levels. Assessing the quality of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for T2D is important to identify knowledge gaps and where improvements can be made. The purpose of this review was to identify the quantity and assess the quality of CPGs for the treatment and/or management of T2D. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify T2D CPGs. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and GIN were searched from 2008 to 2018. Eligible guidelines published on the treatment and/or management of T2D were assessed with the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument. RESULTS: Seventeen CPGs were found to be eligible. Scaled domain percentages (highest to lowest) were: clarity of presentation (81.2%), scope and purpose (77.1%), stakeholder involvement (52.8%), applicability (42.9%), rigour of development (41.5%), and editorial independence (35.1%). CONCLUSIONS: CPGs that achieved higher AGREE II scores and favourable overall recommendations could be used by healthcare providers to facilitate informed discussions surrounding T2D therapies. CPGs that received lower scaled domain percentages or overall recommendations could be improved by using the AGREE II instrument.