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Clinical practice guidelines are one component of good medical decision-making, which takes into account patients’ preferences and values, clinicians’ values and experience, and the available resources. The guidelines’ main purpose is to achieve better health outcomes by improving the practice of health professionals and providing consumers with better information about treatment options. Guidelines can inform consumers about risk factors and how to avert them; they can be used to broaden the education of practitioners and the community, thus contributing to quality assurance processes; and they can assist in the resolution of legal disputes and ethical dilemmas.
Research has shown that clinical practice guidelines can be an effective means of changing the process of health care and improving health outcomes (Grimshaw & Russell 1993, EHCB 1994). A systematic review of many studies of guidelines’ effectiveness revealed strong evidence that they can change clinical practice. Moreover, of those studies that assessed changes in consumer health, a majority reported an improvement in health outcomes (EHCB 1994).
Guidelines vary, however, in the extent to which they produce improved health outcomes. There are two main reasons for this. First, acceptance of a guideline is likely to depend on the quality of the evidence on which it is based. Second, the extent to which the potential health gain is realised from adherence to a guideline will depend on how effectively the guideline is implemented.
Traditionally, guidelines have been based on consensus among experts. But this method has its limitations. Expert opinion does not always reflect the state of current medical knowledge (Antman et al. 1992). And, even where guidelines are supported by literature surveys, if the medical literature has been analysed in an unsystematic way biased conclusions can result (Woolf 1992 Vol 152; Mulrow 1994; EHCB 1994). In the past this has led to unnecessary delays in the recommendation of effective interventions and delays in the withdrawal of ineffective or harmful treatments (Antman et al. 1992; Advisory Group on Health Technology Assessment 1992).
It is now acknowledged that guideline recommendations should be based on systematic identification and synthesis of the best available scientific evidence. Given the extensive research activity in some health care areas, identifying and synthesising the available evidence can be a major undertaking.
The formulation and drafting of guidelines is only one part of the guideline development process. Guidelines will be effective only if they are perceived to be useful and are actually used in clinical decision making. It is therefore important to ensure that clinicians are aware of the guidelines and that the guidelines are incorporated in clinical practice. At present little is known about the relative effectiveness of different dissemination and implementation strategies (Grimshaw
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