Clinical Practice Guidelines

B – UFC/ACC Clinical Practice Guidelines are:

• Based on valid and reliable clinical evidence or a consensus of health care professionals in that field
• Selected with consideration of the needs of B – UFC/ACC members
• Adopted in consultation with B – UFC/ACC providers
• Based on National Practice Standards and
• Developed by health care professionals and based on a review of peer‐reviewed articles published in the United States when national practice guidelines are not available.

B – UFC/ACC clinical practice guidelines are used to support clinical decision‐making. They should not be used as the sole source of information or guidance when making clinical decisions but serve as a guide to informed decision making.

Primary care physicians, specialists, and other health care providers are expected to collaborate with their patient and/or the patient's surrogate to develop and implement treatment plans that are individualized to meet the specific needs of each patient. This collaboration allows deviation from the guideline when appropriate and should be clearly documented in the medical record.

Clinical practice guidelines are developed with designated, desired outcomes and associated, standardized measures of effectiveness. These guidelines are disseminated to all affected providers and are available to all providers, members, potential members, and affiliated allied health professionals upon request.