Guideline Recommendations and Results: The Importance of the Linkage
Authors: Harlan M. Krumholz
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2007)

Editorials4 September 2007Guideline Recommendations and Results: The Importance of the LinkageHarlan M. Krumholz, MD, SMHarlan M. Krumholz, MD, SMFrom Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-147-5-200709040-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The landscape of medical practice is changing rapidly, and the era of accountability, heralded almost 20 years ago by Relman (1), has undoubtedly arrived. Efforts to codify practice and assess the performance of medical care are proliferating, along with rewards for good practice in the form of a wide array of financial and nonfinancial incentives. These incentives are finding their way into the fabric of the health care system as those who pay for health care strive to bring practice into alignment with evidence.Clinical practice guidelines—almost 2000 currently listed in the National Guideline Clearinghouse (2)—are the foundation for much ...References1. Relman AS. Assessment and accountability: the third revolution in medical care [Editorial]. N Engl J Med. 1988;319:1220-2. [PMID: 3173460] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. National Guideline Clearinghouse. Accessed at www.guideline.gov on 15 July 2007. Google Scholar3. Heiat A, Gross CP, Krumholz HM. Representation of the elderly, women, and minorities in heart failure clinical trials. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:1682-8. [PMID: 12153370] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. American College of Cardiology. American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association methodology for the selection and creation of performance measures for quantifying the quality of cardiovascular care. Circulation. 2005;111:1703-12. [PMID: 15811870] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Hepner KA, Rowe M, Rost K, Hickey SC, Sherbourne CD, Ford DE, et al. The effect of adherence to practice guidelines on depression outcomes. Ann Intern Med. 2007;147:320-9. LinkGoogle Scholar6. Krumholz HM, Radford MJ, Ellerbeck EF, Hennen J, Meehan TP, Petrillo M, et al. Aspirin for secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction in the elderly: prescribed use and outcomes. Ann Intern Med. 1996;124:292-8. [PMID: 8554223] LinkGoogle Scholar7. Krumholz HM, Radford MJ, Ellerbeck EF, Hennen J, Meehan TP, Petrillo M, et al. Aspirin in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction in elderly Medicare beneficiaries. Patterns of use and outcomes. Circulation. 1995;92:2841-7. [PMID: 7586250] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Krumholz HM, Radford MJ, Wang Y, Chen J, Heiat A, Marciniak TA. National use and effectiveness of beta-blockers for the treatment of elderly patients after acute myocardial infarction: National Cooperative Cardiovascular Project. JAMA. 1998;280:623-9. [PMID: 9718054] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Krumholz HM, Radford MJ, Wang Y, Chen J, Marciniak TA. Early beta-blocker therapy for acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients. Ann Intern Med. 1999;131:648-54. [PMID: 10577326] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SMAffiliations: From Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, Room I-456 SHM, PO Box 208088, New Haven, CT 06120-8088; e-mail, harlan.krumholz@yale.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Effect of Adherence to Practice Guidelines on Depression Outcomes Kimberly A. Hepner , Melissa Rowe , Kathryn Rost , Scot C. Hickey , Cathy D. Sherbourne , Daniel E. Ford , Lisa S. Meredith , and Lisa V. Rubenstein Metrics Cited byAge-Neutral Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular DiseaseCurrent status of Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines in Japanese clinical practice guidelinesChronic Lyme disease and the 'Axis of Evil'Standards for health care: a necessary but unknown quantityThe Impact of Expressions of Treatment Efficacy and Out-of-pocket Expenses on Patient and Physician Interest in Osteoporosis Treatment: Implications for Pay-for-performance ProgramsMeasuring the Care of the Patient in Context 4 September 2007Volume 147, Issue 5Page: 342-343KeywordsClinical trial reportingDepressionHealth careMotivationPerformance measuresRandomized trialsResearch facilitiesResearch reporting guidelinesTreatment guidelinesVeteran care ePublished: 4 September 2007 Issue Published: 4 September 2007 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2007 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...