Guidelines

Question 1

Health care guidelines

Answer 1

Consist of practice and treatment guidelines. The focus is on treatment guidelines which offer specific recommendations for patient-directed care

Characteristics:
- Requires felxibility in treatment selection
- Doesn’t necessarily reduce costs
- Transparency is crucial

Question 2

Treatment efficacy

Answer 2

Evaluates whether a treatment works. Refers to the scientifically validated assessment of the effects of intervention compared to alternatives/no treatment.

Question 3

Clinical utility

Answer 3

Assesses applicability, feasiblity and usefulness of the intervention in specific settings

Question 4

Criteria for treatment efficacy (5)

Answer 4

1) Guidelines should be based on thorough research in experimental, individual and quantitative methods

2) Recommendations need to take info on sources into consideration based on three levels
- Clinical opinionn/consensus
- Systematized clinical observation
- Sophisticated empirical methodologies

3) Treatment conditions should be considered, including
- Waitlist
- Benefits beyond being inn treatment
- Comparative effectiveness against other

4) Patient-treatment matching should be considered to maximize efficacy

5) Intended outcome should be specified, providing evidence for each outcome (eg considerations like patient selection, goals etc)

Question 5

Criteria for Clinical utility; generalizability

Answer 5

1) guidelines should consider patient variables affecting utility, eg age, gender, ethnicity etc.

2) Guidelines should account for patient characteristics eg: complexity of presentations, cultural relevance, developmental level etc. that influence utility

3) … Variations in health care professionals’ characteristics and their impact on efficacy

4) … assess the effects of prof training, skill and experience as well as interaction with patient

5) … consider impact of treatment setting

6) .. account for variations in administration. incl. adherence, time frames and models

Question 6

Criteria for Clinical utility; feasibility

Answer 6

1) .. consider acceptability of the intervention to patients

2) .. allow informed patient choice among comparable + patients willingness/ability to participate

3) .. address possible adverse effects

4) … consider the preparation of professionals

Question 7

Criteria for Clinical utility: costs

Answer 7

1) should be reported separately from effectiveness

2) .. consider direct, indirect, short and long-term costs to patient/prof/healthcare system.

3) .. clearly define process and methods

4) nominations, disclosures of conflicts of interest, open deliberations and consideration of comments from concerned parties are crucial

5) .. define specific goals, audience, methods for reviewing evidence/strategies. Regular revisions are recommended.