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. 2022 Nov;9(3):262-267.
doi: 10.7861/fhj.2022-0028.

Strategies to promote guideline adoption: lessons learned from the implementation of a national COVID-19 hospital guideline across NHS Wales

Rhys Jefferies  1 , Mark J Ponsford  2 , Chris Davies  3 , Sharon J Williams  4 , Simon Barry  5
Affiliations

Strategies to promote guideline adoption: lessons learned from the implementation of a national COVID-19 hospital guideline across NHS Wales

Rhys Jefferies et al. Future Healthc J. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

There is little understanding about what proportion of the target audience have read guidelines published through the traditional approach. The COVID-19 pandemic created a particularly difficult scenario for healthcare professionals (HCP) since the evidence base rapidly changed. In response, we established a freely accessible, video-based online resource, which was formally implemented requiring user registration. The guideline rapidly gained more than 4,500 registrants in the first wave alone, including nearly 100% of respiratory, intensive care or emergency unit consultants in Wales. During the first wave, there were nearly 170,000 page views with over 31,000 video plays and an average of 5.8 visits to the site per registrant. Acceptability using an online survey showed widespread support and that the unsubscribe rates were remarkably low. We suggest that this novel approach to guideline implementation achieved its aim of widespread engagement and acceptability and serves as a potential model for future medical guidelines and education beyond COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; guideline; guideline dissemination; guideline implementation.

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Figures

Fig 1.
Fig 1.
All Wales COVID-19 Secondary Care Management Guideline.
Fig 2.
Fig 2.
Registration for national COVID-19 hospital guideline compared with inpatients with COVID-19 and deaths from COVID-19. a) New guideline registrant trend. b) Cumulative guideline registrant trend.
Fig 3.
Fig 3.
Guideline registrations by specialty. Discrepancies with oversubscription result from best estimates from incomplete available data.
Fig 4.
Fig 4.
Guideline content notifications. Note the progressive rise in knowledge transferred during the initial phase of the pandemic (between 15 March 2020 and 07 June2020) reflecting new evidence and emerging recommendations to managing patients with COVID-19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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