Disclaimer
Clinical guidelines have been defined as 'systematically' developed statements that are designed to assist clinicians, patients and carers in making decisions about appropriate treatments for specific conditions and aspects of care. As with all clinical guidelines, recommendations may not be appropriate for use in all circumstances.
Decisions to adopt any particular recommendations must be made by practitioners in the light of:
- available resources
- local services, policies and protocols
- the patient's circumstances and wishes
- the clinical experience of the practitioner
- knowledge of more recent research findings.
It is important for all health care professionals, when implementing evidence-based guidance, to understand the local context in which they work and existing quality improvement structures.