The potential role of clinical practice guidelines in the ICU

Clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed statements intended to assist practitioners in decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. By encoding optimal practice from the medical literature, evidence-based practice guidelines may improve patient outcomes. By empowering all members of the multidisciplinary ICU team to shape the care of patients whose problems are addressed by a clinical guideline or pathway, guidelines are likely to create a more holistic approach to health care. Familiarity with evidence-based practice guidelines can help ICU team members become more aware of the most current and valid evidence bearing on a problem, as well as the gaps in their current knowledge base. The value of guidelines rests on the extent to which they are evidence based and successfully adopted, and, ultimately, on their potential to favorably affect clinical and economic outcomes. It is inevitable that the development, implementation, and evaluation of ICU guidelines will be a focus of future research.