Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-ph5wq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T18:22:10.231Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

How to appraise clinical guidelines

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

James P. Warner*
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2QG
Robert Blizard
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2QG
*
Correspondence
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Aims and method

We critically appraised clinical guidelines for the use of antidepressants, using an evidence-based approach.

Results

We were unable to identify recent guidelines. The appraisal tool we used failed to identify some of the difficulties now apparent when considering the validity and utility of guidelines.

Clinical implications

Critical appraisal tools are useful in providing a framework for assessing published material, but run the risk of blinding us with their simplicity.

Type
Evidence-Based Psychiatry
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Anderson, I. M. & Tomenson, B. M. (1995) Treatment discontinuation with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors compared with tricyclic antidepressants: a meta-analysis. British Medical Journal, 310, 14331438.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association (1993) Practice guideline for major depressive disorder in adults. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150 (suppl. 4), 126.Google Scholar
Anonymous (1994) Implementing clinical practice guidelines. Effective Health Care, 8, 110.Google Scholar
Hayward, R. S., Wilson, M. C. Tunis, S. R., et al (1995) Users' guides to the medical literature. VIII How to use clinical practice guidelines. A. Are the recommendations valid? Journal of the American Medical Association, 274, 570574.Google Scholar
Hotopf, M., Hardy, R. & Lewis, G. (1997) Discontinuation rates of SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants: a meta-analysis and investigation of heterogeneity. British Journal of Psychiatry, 170, 120127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moncrieff, J., Wessley, S. & Hardy, R. (1998) Meta-analysis of trials comparing antidepressants with active placebos. British Journal of Psychiatry, 172, 227231.Google Scholar
Montgomery, S. A., Bebbington, P., Cowen, P., et al (1993) Guidelines for treating depressive illness with antidepressants. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 7, 1923.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sackett, D. L., Richardson, W. S., Rosenberg, W., et al (1997) Evidence-Based Medicine. New York: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Song, F., Freemantle, N., Sheldon, T. A., et al (1993) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: meta-analysis of efficacy and acceptability. British Medical Journal, 306, 683687.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, M. C., Hayward, R. S., Tunis, S. R., et al (1995) Users' guides to the medical literature. VIII How to use clinical practice guidelines. B. What are the recommendations and will they help you in caring for your patients? Journal of the American Medical Association, 274, 16301632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.