Practice parameters: background and usefulness

Background/Objective: The number of clinical practice parameters has been i ncreasing in recent years. A more complete understanding of the development of parameters will help the clinician understand the purpose of practice p arameters and how to use them in their clinical practice. Data Source: The MEDLINE database was used to review the recent English lan guage literature about practice parameters. Conclusions: The overall goal of practice parameters is to improve patient care. Practice parameters may be considered a major tool that can aid the c linician in decision-making, and improve overall health care for patients. They can help reduce unwanted variation in clinical practice and help physi cians make more efficient use of resources. Practice parameters can also be used as teaching tools, reference documents, and aids to help defend patie nt care decisions, particularly in managed health care situations.