Methodology and report quality evaluation of multiple sclerosis guidelines and  consensus

Objective To systematically evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of domestic and international guidelines and consensus on multiple sclerosis (MS).Methods CNKI, WanFang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Embase, NGC, NICE, GIN, and Medlive were searched from January 1, 2013, to May 31, 2024. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological and reporting quality of the included guidelines and consensus using the AGREE Ⅱ and RIGHT tools, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate consistency.Results A total of 10 guidelines and 11 consensus were included. These were published between 2015 and 2024, in various countries including China, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. The ICC values for the two tools were both > 0.75. In terms of AGREE Ⅱ methodological quality assessment, the average standardized scores in the domains of scope and purpose, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity of presentation, applicability, and editorial independence were 85.58%, 61.77%, 43.40%, 89.42%, 61.01%, and 68.25%, respectively. The scores across various fields are as follows: 4 guidelines rated as A, 17 guidelines rated as B, and none rated as C. Four high-quality guidelines were identified. The average reporting rate for RIGHT was 57.79%. In terms of RIGHT reporting quality, the reporting rates for basic information, background, evidence, recommendations, review and quality assurance, funding, declaration and management of interest, and other information were 80.16%, 68.90%, 24.05%, 66.67%, 19.05%, 53.27%, and 50.79%, respectively.Conclusion The overall quality of the included MS guidelines/consensuses is moderate, and the methodological and reporting quality needs further improvement. Future development of MS guidelines and consensus should adhere strictly to international standards to ensure high-quality guidelines that provide clear and standardized guidance for clinical practice.