title: Guidelines and Quality Standards in the Care of Children with Epilepsy.
abstract: To provide quality care for children with epilepsy there is a continuing need to synthesize clinical research into forms that reflect best clinical practice. The design of evidence-based guidelines allows the gathering of this information together. This review discusses the components needed to analyze published data and produce recommendations for clinical management. Guideline implementation should be seen as an essential component that is integrated into guideline development. Robust clinical practice guidelines can also form the basis of defining quality standards that in turn should allow the development and measurement of clinical outcomes that lead to direct improvements in patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK. Electronic address: martin.kirkpatrick@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Sherwood Forest Hospitals, King's Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 4JL, UK.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dunkley
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000628:therapy*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Children; Epilepsy; Guidelines; Health services; Quality standards