title: Acceptance and self-reported use of national occupational medicine practice guidelines.
abstract: The authors conducted a survey to ascertain post-training attitudes and self-reported use of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine occupational medicine practice guidelines. Trainees were surveyed 3 to 4 months after completing a case-based practice ACOEM occupational practice guidelines seminar. Of 96 physician respondents, 95% reported that the guidelines improved their practice in some manner. Fifty-two percent of physicians thought that guideline use decreased medical costs. Seventy-one percent reported that their care complied with the guidelines in 70% or more of their cases; however, "actually considering the guidelines in particular cases" was reported by only 47%. Discussion of cases was frequent (92%) and involved physicians, patients, and other health care providers. We concluded that physicians' attitudes toward the guidelines are positive and that reported compliance is high. Guidelines are discussed frequently.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koziol-McLain
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peplowski
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014481:United States