AHCPR guidelines difficult to implement, HHS Inspector General survey concludes.
Executive Summary
AHCPR GUIDELINE IMPLEMENTATION DIFFICULTY CITED BY 63% OF USERS in an HHS Office of the Inspector General survey of health care organizations using the clinical practice guidelines developed by the Agency for Health Care Policy & Research. According to the survey, "uncertainty about how to implement the guidelines was the most frequently cited obstacle to use," cited by 43% of respondents. While 63% of the respondents cited obstacles to implementation, 43% claimed uncertainty. Examples identified by the IG include: a nursing home staff that found a guideline difficult to read and understand; a hospital that was not sure how to use a diagnostic tool recommended in a guideline; and a hospital unsure about "the extent to which it need comply with the guideline."