title: European implementation of the "2014 ESC/ESA guideline on non-cardiac surgery: cardiovascular assessment and management".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substandard implementation of a guideline is a major factor contributing to poor guideline adherence and has the potential to result in preventable patient harm. This study aims to quantify the uptake of the European guideline on non-cardiac surgery by European anesthetists.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Data was collected during Euroanaesthesia, the annual congresses of the Dutch Society of Anaesthesiology, European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiologists and European Society for Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy in 2015. Primary endpoints were the implementation and knowledge scores derived from the questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The implementation score from 488 questionnaires was excellent in 4%, good in 14%, average in 22%, poor in 32% and very poor in 28% of the cases. The knowledge score was excellent in 1%, good in 27%, moderate in 49%, poor in 18% and very poor in 5% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current implementation and knowledge of the guideline on non-cardiac surgery in Europe needs to be improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koers
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wolfgang S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Schlack
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Markus W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Hollmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Hert
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - b.preckel@amc.nl.
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Preckel
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000592:standards*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative