Development of lifestyle disease guidelines and the role of physicians

Article information

J Korean Med Assoc. 2018;61(1):62-70
Publication date (electronic) : 2018 January 17
doi : https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2018.61.1.62
1Research Institute for Healthcare Policy, Korean Medical Association, Seoul, Korea.
2Department of Preventive Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Corresponding author: Hyeongsu Kim. mubul@kku.ac.kr
Received 2017 September 23; Accepted 2017 October 07.

Abstract

Chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, account for 60% of global mortality. These conditions are directly related to unhealthy lifestyle habits, which are considered to be preventable risk factors, making it important to establish and maintain healthy habits. Several countries, including South Korea, have organized medical-based expert committees in order to develop and release lifestyle management guidelines. In this study, committees in the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Australia, and how they have developed guidelines, are scrutinized as benchmark policy cases. Physicians comprise most of the members of those committees, and most of the committees are operated independently from the government. All members of each committee are transparently listed on the committee's website, and the committees develop guidelines in a systematic and well-organized way. In comparison with these international committees, the relevant Korean committees (the Medical Guideline Committee and the Korean Preventive Services Task Force), have a number of things to change in terms of independence, expertise, and the process of developing guidelines. First, both of these committees are directly related to a governmental agency, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The proportion of physicians on the Medical Guideline Committee and the Korean Preventive Services Task Force is lower than that of other committees. Moreover, the focus of the current process of developing guidelines is limited to development itself, rather than the broader process, including re-assessment and feedback loops. This paper provides suggestions for the current lifestyle guideline committee based on case studies, with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life.

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Article information Continued

Table 1

A summary of lifestyle disease guideline development committees

Table 1

USPSTF, US Preventive Services Task Force; HTAC, Health Translation Advisory Committee; NHMRC, National Health and Medical Research Council; HCN, Health Council of the Netherlands; PHAC, Public Health Advisory Committee; NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; NHS, National Health Service.

a)Total number of PHAC 6 subcommittees; b)NHS refers the public health service of the United Kingdom.

Table 2

The role of KPSTF and its related committees

Table 2

Reproduced from Seo S, et al. Public Health Weekly Report 2015;9;37–40 [17].

KPSTF, Korean Preventive Services Task Force.