US family physicians' experiences with practice guidelines.
BACKGROUND
Practice guidelines were developed to improve medical outcomes and cost-effectiveness. The experiences of family physicians, who may need to use multiple guidelines in their practices, are crucial for effective development and implementation of practice guidelines. We surveyed a national sample of US family physicians about factors that affect their adoption and use of practice guidelines.


METHODS
We mailed a structured survey to a national random sample of 400 family physician members of the American Academy of Family Physicians.


RESULTS
The response rate was 51%. Most respondents (69%) reported a positive attitude about practice guidelines, but only 44% reported using any guidelines. More younger physicians thought that guidelines could be useful tools. Most preferred guidelines that could be modified (87%) and that were no longer than two pages. Only 27% of respondents knew where to locate a guideline on a particular topic. Forty-three percent of respondents reported that it would be useful if guidelines were a component of an electronic medical record.


CONCLUSIONS
If guidelines are to be used by practicing family physicians, a generalist perspective needs to be considered in future guideline development and implementation. Younger physicians had more positive attitudes toward guidelines.
Wolff
M
M
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA. mwolff@mcw.edu
Bower
D J
DJ
Marbella
A M
AM
Casanova
J E
JE
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D007255:Information Services; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008403:Mass Screening; D008484:Medicaid; D008499:Medical Records; D006278:Medicare; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011331:Private Practice; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States