Credibility, Cookbook Medicine, and Common Sense: Guidelines and the College
Authors: Peter E. Dans
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1994)

Editorials1 June 1994Credibility, Cookbook Medicine, and Common Sense: Guidelines and the CollegePeter E. Dans, MD, Deputy EditorPeter E. Dans, MD, Deputy Editor Annals of Internal Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19106.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-120-11-199406010-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Guideline [n] −a line by which one is guided: a.) a cord or rope to aid a passer over a difficult point or to permit retracing a course; b.) an indication or outline (as by a government) of policy or conduct [1].Practice guidelines − systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances [2].Guidelines and their siblings (protocols and algorithms) are not new [3]. However, their popularity has burgeoned, especially when compared with their more restrictive first cousins (standards, prediction rules, and decision rules) (Table 1). They have been hailed ...References1. Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam Co.; 1981. Google Scholar2. Field MJ, Lohr KN, eds. Institute of Medicine. Clinical Practice Guidelines: Directions for a New Program. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 1990. Google Scholar3. Woolf SH. Practice guidelines: a new reality in medicine. I. Recent developments. Arch Intern Med. 1990; 150:1811-8. Google Scholar4. Alper PR. ACP guidelines for common diagnostic tests and the practicing internist. J Gen Intern Med. 1989; 4:548-50. Google Scholar5. Woolf SH. Practice guidelines: a new reality in medicine. III. Impact on patient care. Arch Intern Med. 1993; 153:2646-55. Google Scholar6. Tunis SR, Hayward RS, Wilson MC, Rubin HR, Bass EB, Johnson W, Stan EP. 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Common Diagnostic Tests: Use and Interpretation. First edition. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians; 1987. Google Scholar13. Holoweiko M. What cookbook medicine will mean for you. Med Econ. 1989:66; 118-133. Google Scholar14. Beck S, Bertholle L, Child J. Mastering The Art of French Cooking. New York: Knopf; 1961. Google Scholar15. Hirshfeld EB. From the Office of the General Counsel. Practice parameters and the malpractice liability of physicians. JAMA. 1990; 263:1556-62. Google Scholar16. McDonald CJ, Overhage JM. Guidelines you can follow and can trust. An ideal and an example (Editorial). JAMA.1994; 271:872-3. Google Scholar17. Dans PE. The Great Zebra Hunt: a view of internal medicine from the walk-in clinic. Pharos. 1978; 41:2-6. Google Scholar18. Bjorn JC, Cross HD. The Problem-oriented Private Practice of Medicine: A System for Comprehensive Health Care. Chicago: Modern Hospital Press; 1970. Google Scholar19. Tufo HM, Bouchard RE, Rubin AS, Twitchell JC, Van Buren HC, Weed LB, et al. Problem-oriented approach to practice. I. Economic impact. JAMA. 1977; 238:414-7. Google Scholar20. Hudak CM, Redstone PM, Hokanson NC, Suzuki IE. Clinical Protocols: A Guide for Nurses and Physicians. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott; 1976. Google Scholar21. Dans PE, Klaus B, Owen M. A problem-oriented approach to the venereal disease clinic patient. Journal of the American Venereal Disease Association. 1975; 1:158-62. Google Scholar22. Kent DL, Hayner DR, Longstreth WT Jr, Larson EB. The clinical efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging in neuroimaging. Ann Intern Med. 1994; 170:856-71. Google Scholar23. Woolf SH. Practice guidelines, a new reality in medicine. II. Methods of developing guidelines. Arch Intern Med. 1992; 152:946-52. Google Scholar24. Weingarten SR, Riedinger MS, Conner L, Lee TH, Hoffman I, Johnson B, et al. Practice guidelines and reminders to reduce duration of hospital stay for patients with chest pain. An interventional trial. Ann Intern Med. 1994; 120:257-63. Google Scholar25. Voltaire. Philosophical Dictionary. v. 2. Gay P, trans. New York: Basic Books, Inc.; 1962:467. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Annals of Internal Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19106.Corresponding Author: Peter E. Dans, MD, American College of Physicians, Sixth Street at Race, Philadelphia, PA 19106. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoInternists' Attitudes about Clinical Practice Guidelines Sean R. Tunis , Robert S. A. Hayward , Mark C. Wilson , Haya R. Rubin , Eric B. Bass , Mary Johnston , and Earl P. 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