Impact of Asia-Pacific guidelines on gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori infection on prevailing clinical practices.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of the Asia-Pacific guidelines on gastric cancer prevention and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on clinical practice.

METHODS: An electronic survey was carried out among Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) medical delegates in 2012. The survey questionnaire captured details such as participants' characteristics, their awareness of the guidelines and knowledge of the key guideline recommendations, the impact of the guidelines on individual practice and on national policies and the sources of medical information that the individual used to make clinical decisions. A total of 1372 APDW medical delegates were invited via email to participate in the electronic survey and 432 (31.5%) responded.

RESULTS: Among the respondents, 57.6% were familiar with at least one of the guidelines. Among those familiar with the guidelines, 85.9% believed that they influenced their clinical practice. More than half (64.9%) reported that the guidelines clarified treatment indications for them. In terms of knowledge content, 85.0% of the participants provided correct responses to at least four of the six questions on understanding. More than half (52.7%) of the participants felt that the guidelines had made an impact on national policies.

CONCLUSION: The Asia-Pacific guidelines on gastric cancer and H. pylori had a positive impact on individual clinical practice and national policies.