The Divergence Between Clinical Guidelines and Practice ⁎ ⁎

The Divergence Between Clinical Guidelines and Practice ⁎ ⁎: Clinical guidelines are effective vehicles for incorporating evidence-based medicine into clinical practice. Experts in the field review the literature, weigh the strength of the evidence, and develop specific guidelines based on this evidence. This approach to achieving quality care has been championed by cardiovascular subspecialty societies for decades, including the American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), European Society of Cardiology, and others. Writing groups distill and codify a vast amount of information and form recommendations for practice, which often are ultimately disseminated as joint documents representing multiple societies. Most guidelines are widely accepted and frequently are the basis of metrics used to evaluate the performance and quality of clinical care.