Developing the RIGHT extension statement for practice guideline protocols: the RIGHT-P statement protocol

Abstract

Background: A protocol for a practice guideline can facilitate the guideline development process, ensure its transparency, and improve the quality of the guidelines. However, there are currently no reporting guideline for guideline protocols. Methods: We intend to develop an extension of the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in HealThcare (RIGHT) statement for guideline protocols (RIGHT-P). We will follow the toolkit for developing a reporting guideline developed by the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) network. We will form a multidisciplinary international team of experts. The development of RIGHT-P will be conducted in 12 steps grouped in three stages over a two-year period. Results: The results of RIGHT-P statement will be presented in an article to be published later. Conclusion: This report describes the process of RIGHT-P statement development. We believe RIGHT-P will help guideline developers improve the reporting of guideline protocols and indirectly improve their quality and the quality of guidelines. Registration: We registered the protocol on the EQUATOR network.