It is often an overview of clinical trials. It is usually called a meta-analysis by the author or sponsoring body and should be differentiated from reviews of literature 3 . This is a publication type in MedLine. See also systematic review. There may be multiple guidelines for a patient, depends on what you are managing.
Workflow management describes what is done, how, by whom, and with what means.
The American Medical Association Directory of Practice Parameters 1995 reported as many as 1600 clinical practice guidelines. An example on the web is Practice Parameters of the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Reference Guide, 10th Edition. Patient data is used to determine whether patients may be eligible for particular clinical protocols or clinical trials. Protocols are also used in emergency care and critical care. Advanced Life Support Protocols is an example of a set of protocols.