Evidence-Based Health Care

A range of treatment procedures supported by current research and specialist opinion is described so clinicians can select approaches that match the setting and patient needs. Individual clinicians may use the Guidelines to guide, but not to limit, treatment needed for their patients. Clinicians should favour treatment approaches for which there is reasonable evidence of effectiveness rather than those of uncertain efficacy. It is the responsibility of individual clinicians, as well as health systems which support treatment provision, to ensure the treatments made available are those believed to be the most effective. Interventions not described in these Guidelines were excluded because there was insufficient research supporting their effectiveness, or they were deemed irrelevant because of undeveloped research, or they were not easily implemented.