Selecting, presenting and delivering clinical guidelines: are there any "magic bullets"?

Abstract

There are internationally agreed optimal methods for developing clinical practice guidelines. The quality of published guidelines varies. A validated assessment instrument should be used to identify well developed guidelines that can be used with confidence. There are multiple ways of presenting guidelines, including computerised systems. Computerisation of guidelines can cover a range of formats, from brief prompts through to complex decision-support systems. Integrating guidelines into computerised reminder systems has been shown to be effective in improving patient care, but there is less evidence to support the effectiveness of guidelines integrated into computerised decision-support systems.