[Clinical practice guidelines: a reader's guide].
BACKGROUND
This article is devoted to the critical appraisal of clinical guidelines.


METHODS
The example chosen is the update of the guideline "Clinical management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: diagnosis, follow-up, and acute exacerbations". The full and abbreviated versions of the text published by the "Société de Pneumologie de la Langue Française" were analysed by a guide for the critical evaluation of clinical guidelines.


BACKGROUND
The evaluation guide "AGREE" allows assessment of six areas included in the development of a guideline: scope and objectives, involvement of the groups concerned, rigour of development, clarity and presentation, applicability and editorial independence.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical guidelines are going to play an important part in medical practice. Evaluation of professional practice will be based on their contents. A critical appraisal of their validity and applicability in this way allows an accurate decision on their subsequent application.
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Service de l'Information Médicale et de l'Evaluation, Service de Pathologie Respiratoire, CHU de Limoges, Limoges, France. avergne@unilim.fr
D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*