PRACTICE GUIDELINES AND PSYCHIATRIC-EDUCATION - POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS

The American Psychiatric Association's practice guidelines provide aut horitative guidance for assessing and treating major clinical problems that psychiatrists face. This article reviews the social context in w hich practice guidelines have emerged, opportunities they afford educa tors, and limitations in their educational and practice applications. Practice guidelines should be used in residents' and medical students' seminars and in continuing medical education activities. The incentiv e to study guidelines may increase as their likely use as information sources for questions on in-service and specialty board certification examinations as well as in clinical quality-assurance activities becom es more widely recognized.