An evaluation index system was devised which included rating scales, questionnaires and interviews with both clinical physicians and patients.
The guidelines were more successfully implemented if Chinese patent medicine was administered orally or intravenously, compared with acupuncture and tuina treatment. Barriers for implementing the TCM guidelines included factors affecting physicians鈥?acceptance and application such as the strength of recommendations, their knowledge structure and professional skills. Factors affecting the patients鈥?acceptance included their socio-economic status, understanding and medical/social insurance. Three strategies that could help the effective implementation of the guidelines were identified: intervention with a reward/penalty policy by administrative departments, explanations of the guidelines by experts, making guideline content more accessible to clinical physicians by adding different modules of guideline-recommendations to doctors鈥?work stations. Questionnaires and interviews were effective for evaluating implementation barriers. This evaluation index system was a useful and potentially accurate method to identify implementation.
Barriers in implementing the TCM guidelines were involved at every single step of clinical practice. Feasible strategies can facilitate implementation results.