Clinical Practice Guidelines
Clinical practice guidelines are designed to assist health care professionals, health care organizations and members by providing a framework for the evaluation and treatment of a variety of conditions. Guidelines are not intended to replace a clinician’s judgment or to establish a protocol for all members with a particular condition.
The following is a list of organizations that offer evidence-based guidelines. This list is not exhaustive and UCare supports use of these and other well-researched guidelines to support clinical decision making.
General Medicine Resources
These may help with a wide variety of primary care topics including but not limited to diabetes, asthma, COPD, back pain, immunizations and cancer screenings.
United States Preventive Services Task Force (all ages)
https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/
American Academy of Family Physicians (all ages)
https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/clinical-recommendations.html
American Academy of Pediatrics (infants, children, adolescents)
https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/
American College of Physicians (adults)
https://www.acponline.org/clinical-information/clinical-guidelines-recommendations
Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense Practice Guidelines (adults)
https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/CD/asthma/index.asp
Specialty Medicine Resources
American Academy of Cardiology (e.g. high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, heart failure, atrial fibrillation)
https://www.acc.org/Clinical-Topics
American Academy of Neurology (e.g. migraines, stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, multiple sclerosis)
https://www.aan.com/practice/guidelines
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (e.g. pregnancy, women’s health)
https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/clinical-practice-guideline (*limited free access)
American Gastroenterological Association (e.g. heartburn/reflux, irritable bowel disease, liver disease, colon disease)
https://gastro.org/clinical-guidance/
American Geriatrics Society (e.g. healthy aging, medication use for older adults, fall prevention)
https://www.americangeriatrics.org/publications-tools/guidelines-recommendations (*content free but registration required)
American Psychiatry Association (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder)
https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines
American Psychological Association (e.g. depression, chronic musculoskeletal pain, PTSD, obesity in children/adolescents)
https://www.apa.org/research-practice/standards-guidelines
Endocrine Society (e.g. bone health, diabetes, reproductive issues, obesity)
https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines
Infectious Diseases Society of America (e.g. HIV, hepatitis, skin/soft tissue infections, diarrhea)
https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/practice-guidelines/#/+/0/date_na_dt/desc/
American Society of Clinical Oncology (offers treatment recommendations for a wide variety of cancers)
https://www.asco.org/guidelines
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (offers treatment recommendations for a wide variety of cancers)
https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/category_1