Challenges of Clinical Guidelines Implementation from the Perspective of Clinical Care Providers at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study Content analysis

Identifying the challenges in clinical guidelines implementation from the perspective of clinical care providers can provide valuable information for implementers and policymakers providing clinical care services at the local and national levels. The present study aimed to identify the challenges of implementing clinical guidelines from the perspective of clinical care providers. 

The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach. The statistical population of the study included a number of key stakeholders and aware of how to provide clinical care in Allameh Behlool Gonabadi Hospital affiliated to Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in 2020, which were purposefully selected by snowball method. Data collection was continued through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion sessions until the data saturation stage was reached. A total of 30 interviews were conducted. The four criteria of Lincoln & Guba were used for the accuracy and robustness of the study findings. Data were analyzed by content analysis method and Graneheim & Lundman content analysis method.

542 meaning unit and 71 condensed meaning unit were extracted. After aggregating them, 3 categories and 12 subcategories were identified as effective challenges in implementing clinical guidelines.

Challenges of implementing clinical guidelines include procedural, process, and structural challenges. Therefore, it is suggested to pay attention to these challenges in writing, developing and implementing clinical guidelines at all different levels of clinical care providers.