| Abstrakt: |
This article discusses the relevance of guidelines to improve the quality of care for patients. The objectives of guidelines are to enhance appropriateness of practice, improve quality of cardiovascular care, lead to better patient outcomes, improve cost effectiveness, help authorities to decide on the approval of drugs and devices, and identify areas of research needed. Guidelines may also be used as quality measurement for health insurance. A profusion of guidelines has been issued in recent years by different organisations, like European Society of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and other related societies. By means of links to websites of national societies, several hundred guidelines are available. |
