title: Practice parameters: background and usefulness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The number of clinical practice parameters has been increasing in recent years. A more complete understanding of the development of parameters will help the clinician understand the purpose of practice parameters and how to use them in their clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MEDLINE database was used to review the recent English language literature about practice parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall goal of practice parameters is to improve patient care. Practice parameters may be considered a major tool that can aid the clinician in decision-making, and improve overall health care for patients. They can help reduce unwanted variation in clinical practice and help physicians make more efficient use of resources. Practice parameters can also be used as teaching tools, reference documents, and aids to help defend patient care decisions, particularly in managed health care situations.
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic, Marietta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fineman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data