Abstract
Because of interest in clinical practice guidelines (CPG) as instruments for improving clinical practice, the production of these documents has markedly increased. In Spain, multiple documents described as CPG are promoted by various institutions (health systems, scientific societies, industry, etc.). However, recent evaluations of their quality reveal a wide margin for improvement in their design. CPG should be developed through a systematic and structured process. The essence of a CPG is the formulation of recommendations responding to a list of questions in which the management of a problem in a specific context can be summarized. The response to the list of questions through evaluating and summarizing the evidence constitutes the nucleus of the CPG and is what distinguishes it from other document types that provide recommendations based mainly on “expert” opinion. Recommendations should be graded according to the quality of the evidence on which they are based. The highest level of evidence is provided by systematic reviews and consequently consultation of these studies should be a priority. There are several initiatives in Spain such as Guiasalud or Redeguias of the Red Temática de Investigación MBE (Thematic Network for Research on EBM) that work on this type of CPG design. An essential strategy is the coordination of parties interested in producing CPG (scientific societies, health systems, etc.). Lastly, for CPG to improve the population’s health, they must be disseminated and systematically implemented.
Published Version
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