Hundreds of expert panels, individuals and organizations have developed guidelines on everything from managing urinary incontinence to treating HIV/AIDS patients. Guidelines, sometimes called clinical pathways, are available; these highlight best practices in treating the array of problems patients face at the end of life. The federal government has launched a new website (www.guidelines.gov) from which one can download carefully selected guidelines. In addition to guidelines developed by federal agencies, professional organizations (e.g., the American Pain Society has guidelines for continuous quality improvement in pain management) and international groups (e.g., the World Health Organization) have developed their own. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) is revising its standards to incorporate pain assessment and treatment. These materials, and others developed by regional and local organizations, point the way to improved pain management.
Improvement teams may want to try various guidelines. In selecting one, keep in mind these common attributes of good guidelines:
This text is derived from the book Improving Care for the End of Life : A Sourcebook for Health Care Managers and Clinicians.