PRACTICE GUIDELINES - A MORE RATIONAL APPROACH TO DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AND A MORE EFFECTIVE USE OF HEALTH-CARE RESOURCES

Practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for s pecific clinical circumstances. The implementation of practice guideli nes is justified by factors such as variations in clinical practice, m alpractice and its associated costs, and the need to contain health ca re expenditures. In this context, practice guidelines promote a more r ational approach to clinical decision making and better quality of car e. Although there are several Limitations to the use of guidelines in current practice, different organizations (professional societies, gov ernment agencies, licensing authorities, educational institutions) hav e a potential interest in their development. A working group on the de velopment of practice guidelines endorsed by the Italian Society of Ne urology has been active since 1995. The aims of this group include the development of guidelines to be accepted by the medical community and to be placed within the framework of initiatives of the Italian Minis try of Health.