The Challenge of Guideline Development When Evidence Is Sparse.

Abstract

Although best-practice standards for clinical guidelines have been released by the Institute of Medicine and Guidelines International Network, a great challenge remains for guideline development for patients afflicted with rare diseases. This article reviews the challenge of guideline development under these circumstances with an emphasis on strategies to overcome these challenges. Guideline development and use in practice have become integral components in the contemporary care of patients to optimize outcome results. The guidelines are developed through an objective, evidence-based process conducted by experts and stakeholders for a given disease process.