ABSTRACT
The design of a clinical guideline is fundamental to its success. The more planning that goes into the way in which the guideline is put together the more credible it will be, the more ownership it will have and the more likely it is to be followed. This runs from identifying the general subject area and then refining it, through drawing together a group to work on the guideline. Then all the evidence needs to be considered before deciding the evidence relevant to the subject area and, importantly, to local circumstances. This all needs translating into a working document before being circulated for opinions from outside the group responsible for the guideline. In the end a process has to exist to resolve conflicts of opinion. Ultimately a final document has to be produced.
