Conducting a Literature Review

VHA, in collaborations with the Department of Defense (DoD) and other leading professional organizations, has been developing clinical practice guidelines since the early 1990s. In 2010 the Institute of Medicine identified VA/DoD as leaders in clinical practice guideline development.

Clinical practice guidelines are statements that include recommendations intended to optimize patient care. They are informed by a systematic review of evidence, and an assessment of the benefits and harms of alternative care options. CPGs should follow a sound, transparent methodology to translate best evidence into clinical practice for improved patient outcomes. Additionally, evidence-based CPGs are a key aspect of patient-centered care.

Guidelines developed or endorsed by the Academy are subject to periodic revision as warranted by the evolution of medical knowledge, technology and practice.

APA makes the practice guidelines freely available to promote their dissemination and use; however, copyright protections are enforced in full. No part of these guidelines may be reproduced except as permitted under Sections 107 and 108 of the United States Copyright Act. For permission for reuse, visit our Permissions and Licensing Center. Also visit PsychiatryOnline to access the guidelines and purchase the complete collection of guidelines and watches.

These guideline products are no longer viewed as guidance for current medical practice, and are provided for archival purposes only.

CPGs are created following the rigorous process described in ENA’s Guidelines for the Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines. The purpose of CPGs is to positively impact patient care in emergency nursing by bridging the gap between practice and currently available evidence.

Issued by third-party organizations, and not NCCIH, these guidelines define the role of specific diagnostic and treatment modalities in the diagnosis and management of patients. The statements contain recommendations that are based on evidence from a rigorous systematic review and synthesis of the published medical literature.

These guidelines are not fixed protocols that must be followed, but are intended for health care professionals and providers to consider. While they identify and describe generally recommended courses of intervention, they are not presented as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other knowledgeable health care professional or provider.

A group of physicians that have developed a framework and rating system to evaluate therapies based on their patient-important benefits and harms as well as a system to evaluate diagnostics by patient sign, symptom, lab test or study.

Only use the highest quality, evidence-based studies (frequently, but not always Cochrane Reviews), and we accept no outside funding or advertisements.

VHA, in collaborations with the Department of Defense (DoD) and other leading professional organizations, has been developing clinical practice guidelines since the early 1990s. In 2010 the Institute of Medicine identified VA/DoD as leaders in clinical practice guideline development.