Clinical guidelines
Why search for clinical guidelines?
Clinical guidelines can also be a source of studies. In relation to the hierarchy of evidence, clinical guidelines provide high quality summaries of information. They are systematically developed to assist health professionals make clinical decisions about appropriate health care.
Authors of clinical guidelines have appraised existing research in order to translate the evidence into actionable recommendations.
A few key sites are listed below. Use a search engine to explore further.
Clinical guidelines
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- The Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)Access guidelines produced by the RANZCP to support psychiatrists and other mental health professionals
- Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) GuidelinesMJA publishes guideline summaries, consensus statements, position statements and reviews
- The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne - Clinical Practice Guidelines'Our guidelines have been developed for clinicians and provide concise practical advice regarding assessment and management of common and serious paediatric conditions' -- About Clinical Practice Guidelines
| International |
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- Guidelines Interational Network (GIN) International Guidelines Library'...contains links to guidelines published or endorsed by GIN member organisations from across the globe' - including Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), American Psychological Association (APA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and many others
- CPG Infobase: Clinical Practice Guidelines (Canada)'...contains approximately 1,200 evidence-based Canadian clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) developed or endorsed by authoritative medical or health organizations in Canada' - webpage
- ECRI Guidelines TrustSign up for a free account to access a repository of guidelines in English contributed by over 100 organisations. Guidelines must meet inclusion criteria and many have been appraised. ECRI is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
- NICE Guidance (UK)National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 'Evidence-based recommendations developed by independent committees, including professionals and lay members, and consulted on by stakeholders' - webpage
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center (USA)Includes some links to guidelines
- Trip (free version)Previously known as 'Turning Research into Practice'. A centralised database providing access to evidence-based resources such as guidelines, systematic reviews, and synopses from a variety of sources and contributors. The free version offers basic and PICO search options, and filtering by resource type (subscription required for advanced search and results export)
- WHO Guidelines (World Health Organisation)'A WHO guideline is defined broadly as any information product developed by WHO that contains recommendations for clinical practice or public health policy' - homepage
Guidelines and standards
- Cochrane Handbook, part 2, chapter 4.3.5: Other sources
This section provides details on searching for other sources, including reports and clinical guidelines. - Cochrane Manual 1.3.4 Other reviews, guidelines and reference lists as sources of studiesFrom 4.S1 Technical Supplement to Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies
'Specify all databases, registers, websites, organisations, reference lists, and other sources searched or consulted to identify studies. Specify the date when each source was last searched or consulted' - PRISMA 2020 Explanation and Elaboration, p. 5
Hierarchy of evidence
Adapted from DiCenso, Bayley & Haynes 2009, p. 100.