Clinical Guidelines
The standard definition of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) is "systematically developed statements to assist practitioners and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific circumstances"[1]. Guidelines are designed to support the decision-making processes in patient care. The content of a guideline is based on a systematic review of clinical evidence - the main source for evidence-based care.
The benefits of clinical practice guidelines include:
- Improve clinical outcomes[2]
- Reduce variability in clinical practice[3]
- Increase use of known effective interventions[2]
- Provide greater cost effectiveness[2]
- Increase transparency of evidence to justify interventions[4]
- Legitimise profession in eyes of external stakeholders[3]
- Musculoskeletal / Orthopaedics
- Cardiopulmonary
- Neurology
- Paediatrics
- Sports Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Elderly Care
- Endocrine / Metabolic
- Pain Science
- Womens Health
- Oncology
- Extended Scope
- Health Promotion
- Electrophysical
- Mental Health
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Field MJ, Lohr KN (Eds). Clinical Practice Guidelines: Directions for a New Program, Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Woolf et al. (1999) Potential benefits, limitations and harms of clinical guidelines. BMJ 527 - 530
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Grimshaw J M et al. (1995) Clinical practice guidelines – do they enhance value for money in health care? Br Med Bull 51:927-940
- ↑ Moore, A. Development of evidence statements for physical therapy diagnosis and treatment: What are evidence statements and how do they fit in with the policy of professional bodies? WPT Congress, June 2011, Amsterdam.
