Evidence-based practice guidelines in OHS: are they agree-able?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptance, validity, reliability and feasibility of the AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines and REsearch and Evaluation) instrument to assess the quality of evidence-based practice guidelines for occupational physicians. In total, 6 practice guidelines of the Netherlands Society of Occupational Medicine (NVAB) were appraised by 20 occupational health professionals and experts in guideline development or implementation. Although appraisers often disagreed on individual item scores, the internal consistency and interrater reliability for most domains was sufficient.

Adherence to mental health guidelines by Dutch occupational physicians.

Background: In 2000, the Dutch Association of Occupational Physicians published a national guideline for the management of employees with mental health problems.

Objectives: To examine predictors of adherence to this guideline by Dutch occupational physicians (OPs).

Methods: Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, a questionnaire was developed about self-reported guideline adherence of OPs and possible predictors of this behaviour.