Quality and clinical applicability of recommendations for incontinence‐associated dermatitis: A systematic review of guidelines and consensus statements

Abstract Aims and Objectives The aim of this study was to assess methodological quality of all currently available guidelines and consensus statements for IAD using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II and the AGREE Recommendation Excellence (AGREE‐REX) instruments. Background Globally, incontinence‐associated dermatitis (IAD) is a significant health challenge. IAD is a complex healthcare problem that reduces quality of life of patients, increases healthcare costs and prolongs hospital stays. Several guidelines and consensus statements are available for IAD. However, the quality of these guidelines and consensus statements remains unclear. Design A systematic review of guidelines and consensus statements. Methods Our study was undertaken using PRISMA guidelines. We searched seven electronic databases. Guidelines and consensus statements had to be published in English, Chinese or German languages. Five independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of guidelines and consensus statements using the AGREE II and AGREE‐REX instruments. Mean with standard deviation (SD) and median with interquartile range (IQR) were calculated for descriptive analyses. We generated bubble plots to describe the assessment results of each domain of each guideline and consensus statement. Results We included ten guidelines and consensus statements. The NICE guidelines, obtained the highest scores, fulfilled 86.11%–98.61% of criteria in AGREE II and 76.67%–91.11% for AGREE‐REX. In the domains ‘Stakeholder Involvement’ (4.39 ± 1.64), ‘Rigor of Development’ (3.38 ± 1.86), ‘Applicability’ (3.62 ± 1.64), ‘Editorial Independence’ (3.91 ± 2.56) and ‘Values and Preferences’ (2.98 ± 1.41), the remaining guidelines and consensus statements showed deficiencies. Conclusions Altogether, this study demonstrated that the currently available guidelines and consensus statements for IAD have room for methodological improvement. NICE guidelines on faecal incontinence and urinary incontinence have better quality. Remaining guidelines and consensus statements showed substantial methodological weaknesses, especially the domains of ‘Stakeholder Involvement’, ‘Rigor of Development’, ‘Applicability’, ‘Editorial independence’ and ‘Values and Preferences’. This study was registered on INPLASY. (Registration number: INPLASY202190078). Relevance to Clinical Practice The currently available guidelines and consensus statements on IAD have room for methodological improvement.