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Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines

Abstract:

Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) are useful tools to organize the best available scientific evidence, and to collaborate with clinicians in health decision making. The aim of this article was to describe concepts that allow understanding the importance of CPGs in daily clinical practice. CPGs arise from a series of steps that are carried out with varying intensity depending on the subject matter, among which are: methodological aspects, systematic review of the literature, publication and implementation, periodic re-view, and update. Among the advantages of CPGs is the improvement in health outcomes because its use helps to promote adequate health decision-making, reducing undue variability in the choice of treatments. On the other hand, PCs are very useful instruments for those who must plan and manage health costs, since they allow improving the efficiency of resources, and control health expenses while maintaining the quality of care. Among the disadvantages, it is described that eventually do not achieve to change a behavior, unless they are accompanied by active strategies such as reminder, audit and feedback systems, etc.; that physicians are resistant to behavioral changes, put attitude barriers in accepting the validity of recommendations, etc.