title: The research agenda for protocol-based care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Protocol-based care is increasingly being used to deliver collaborative, integrated and improved patient-centred care, based on the best available evidence. This article provides an overview of key issues arising from protocol-based care literature to illustrate the research agenda for this important care delivery approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protocols provide great potential to deliver best practice. However, questions remain about the benefits of protocol-based care.
authors.affiliation: RCN Institute, Oxford. joanne.rycroft-malone@rcn.org.uk
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rycroft-Malone
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morrell
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bick
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom