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Clinical Practice Guidelines: who needs them?

CPG Office, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London SW1X 8PG and Maudsley Hospital, London SE5 8AZ

Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient in clinical decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. The Royal College of Psychiatrists CPG Programme aims to develop clinical guidelines which are scientifically valid and acceptable to those affected by them. At the some time, CPGs must be responsive to advances in knowledge, and versatile enough for the demands of routine practice. Their development involves a number of stages and a variety of methods, built into a cycle of evaluation and review. The Programme has established priorities for clinical topics for CPG development through consultation with the mental health community. Well-developed CPGs would benefit clinicians, patients and purchasers of care. It is now important to appraise their ability to change clinical practice, the associated direct and indirect costs, and their value as a medical technology. The clinical professions are in the strongest position to co-ordinate their development, and guide their evaluation.