April 2000

Editorial

NSF will help GPs improve standards of CHD care

Dr Mark Davis, GP member of the NSF external reference group

News

National Service Framework for heart disease launched

RCOG issues national abortion guideline

Letters

New website launched for approved group protocols

Guidelines in Practice welcomes letters; if would you like to share your views with other readers, please write in

Personal View

CHD database holds the key to secondary prevention

Dr Hamish Dougall and Professor Frank Sullivan describe the Tayside initiative to tackle secondary prevention of CHD

Guideline Development

RCP guidelines set out national strategy to improve stroke care

Dr Anthony Rudd and Penny Irwin explain how the new RCP stroke guidelines will improve the delivery of care to patients and promote secondary prevention

EPAGE guidelines could reduce inappropriate referrals for endoscopy

Dr Mark Cottrill explains how adoption of the EPAGE guidelines could improve access to endoscopy for patients and make best use of limited resources

Linking Evidence to Practice

Selecting effective treatment for guttate psoriasis

The choice of treatment for guttate psoriasis is hampered by the lack of controlled trials of the available therapies, as Drs Caroline Owen and Robert Chalmers report

Guideline Implementation

Local guidelines on thyroid disease promote seamless care

The Exeter Guidelines on Thyroid Disease provide comprehensive guidance on all aspects of this common group of conditions, as Dr Tim Harlow explains

Locality Initiative

Assessing the impact of hyperlipidaemia and dyspepsia guidelines

Evaluation of North Cheshire's guidelines on hyperlipidaemia and dyspepsia by Anita Maestri-Banks suggests that they have helped change clinical practice

Key Organisations

Centre for Evidence Based Medicine

Dr Martin Dawes, Director of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine

Questions & Answers

Your problems solved

Our editorial board answer your questions on applying guidelines and whether guidelines can change patient behaviour

Out of Hours

Should patients be exposed to medical humour?

Dr Phil Hammond, GP, lecturer and presenter of BBC2's Trust Me, I'm a Doctor