Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been defined as the "integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values." Though a laudable ideal, it is not feasible for individual clinicians to review, interpret, and apply all relevant evidence all of the time. Hence, clinicians should have access to "a set of tools and resources for finding and applying current best evidence from research for the care of individual patients." The goal of clinical guideline writers is to perform part of this role, but they also must resolve these practical challenges if they are to provide tools to help clinicians deliver real evidence-based practice. Here we consider some challenges for guideline writers when producing clinical advice that meets the demands of busy clinicians.
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