Clinical guideline

How it is used

Usually plural. Guidelines are written by national bodies, professional societies or the hospital itself, and they are followed, implemented and updated. Managers check whether practice follows guidelines through audit. A guideline advises, while a protocol or policy is usually more binding.

Example sentences

1. The new clinical guideline recommends giving antibiotics within one hour when sepsis is likely.

2. Our clinical guidelines are reviewed every three years by the medical committee.

Common collocations

• follow clinical guidelines
• national clinical guidelines
• implement a guideline
• evidence-based guidelines

Related terms

• clinical auditA review that compares the care actually given with agreed standards, so that gaps can be found, practice changed and the results checked again.
• complianceActing in line with laws, regulations, standards and internal policies, and the work of checking and proving that this happens.
• quality improvementA planned, continuous effort to make care safer, more effective and more efficient by measuring results, testing changes and learning from them.
• clinical governanceThe system through which a healthcare organisation is held responsible for improving the quality of its services and keeping high standards of care.

More terms: Quality and Accreditation

• accreditation
• KPI
• benchmark
• patient experience
• inspection
• clinical outcome
• lean management