„They a
re designed to help practitioners assimilate, evaluate and implement the everincreasing amount of evidence and opinion on bes
t current practice. Clinical guidelines are intended as neither cookbook nor textbook but, where there is evidence of variation in pra
ctice which affects patient outcomes and a strong research base providing evidence of effective practice, guidelines can assis
t doctors and other ...[+++]health care professionals in making decisions about appropriate and effective care for their patients.