It is also important to emphasise that SIGN guidelines are intended as an aid to clinical judgement not to replace it. Guidelines do not provide the answers to every clinical question, nor guarantee a successful outcome in every case. The ultimate decision about a particular clinical procedure or treatment will always depend on each individual patient's condition, circumstances and wishes, and the clinical judgement of the healthcare team. However, guidelines are intended to address variation in practice. The highest standards of patient care and improved outcomes are the ultimate goal.
Guidelines are just one piece in the clinical effectiveness jigsaw.
It will be important that SIGN, CSBS, and HTBS liaise closely, particularly in topic selection and programme planning, to ensure that a co-ordinated and comprehensive programme is provided to the NHS to feed into implementation, education, audit, and other activities. Development of the CSBS and HTBS has also created new opportunities for collaboration in development such as patient involvement, organisation of consultation meetings, and in dissemination and implementation strategies. SIGN's reputation is based largely on its innovative approach to guideline methodology and the process of constant improvement. Much of this improvement arises from experience gained from working with multidisciplinary groups and seeking practical, but methodologically sound, solutions to problems as they arise. SIGN is collaborating with other guideline developers, particularly in the UK and Europe, to agree common standards, processes and documentation that will allow the resource-intensive systematic review element of guideline development in future to be shared between national and international initiatives.