Guidelines are developed by professional societies and agencies to summarize evidence and recommend management approaches. They are recommendations rather than mandates and expressly permit clinical judgment.
Admissibility as evidence of the standard varies.
Alternative Names:
Practice Guideline, Clinical Guideline
Why it Matters?
Guidelines expressly state that they inform rather than replace clinical judgment, and quoting that language is the standard response when a guideline is offered as the definitive standard. Guidelines also frequently conflict among issuing organizations and become outdated between revisions. Where a guideline supports the defense, the same limitations that undercut its use against a defendant apply, which is worth acknowledging directly.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Do guidelines establish the standard of care?
Are safe harbors available?
