Quality appraisal of clinical practice guidelines for the evaluation and management of primary hyperparathyroidism

Purpose: Multiple groups have created clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the management of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). This report provides a rigorous quality assessment using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation Instrument (AGREE II) to identify high-performing guidelines and areas for improvement.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted to isolate CPGs addressing the management of PHPT. Guideline data was extracted and quality ratings were assigned by four independent reviewers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to ensure interrater reliability.

Results: Twelve guidelines were assessed. The American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) guideline had the highest mean scaled score across all domains (73.6 ± 31.4%). No other published guideline achieved a "high" quality designation. The highest scoring domain was "clarity of presentation" (mean 60.5 ± 26.5%). The lowest scoring domain was "applicability" (mean 19.8 ± 18.2%). Scoring reliability was excellent, with ICC ≥ 0.89 for all AGREE II 6 domains.

Conclusion: Although several working groups have developed guidelines to address PHPT management, only those published by the AAES meet all methodologic quality criteria necessary to ensure incorporation of recommendations into clinical practice. Future guidelines would benefit from the development of tools, resources, monitoring criteria that enhance applicability.