Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are important tools that assist primary care doctors in their daily practice. Menopause is a physiological condition that affects all women, and the latest Malaysian CPG on menopause can provide guidance on the optimal management of women facing this condition. However, not all CPGs are of acceptable quality, and it is important that primary care doctors learn to critically appraise CPGs to ensure their practice is evidence-based and relevant to their patients. This review aimed to critically appraise the Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Menopause in Malaysia 2022 to ensure that it is valid and applicable to primary care in Malaysia. METHODS: Three family medicine specialists independently appraised the CPG using the AGREE II Instrument, which consists of six domains assessing the following: (1) scope and purpose, (2) stakeholder involvement, (3) rigour of development, (4) clarity and presentation, (5) applicability and (6) editorial independence. They also provided an overall assessment of quality and recommendation on the use of the CPG following the AGREE II guideline. RESULTS: The CPG scored >70%, which is the threshold of quality in all domains except for applicability. The reviewers deemed the CPG to be of high quality and recommended its adoption without any modifications. DISCUSSION: It is important to ensure that recommendations in a CPG are evidence-based and valid before they are adopted into practice. The AGREE II Instrument can assist primary care doctors in critically appraising CPGs.