[Practice guidelines for medical treatment from the perspective of health law]

Clinical practice guidelines are directions for medical doctors on the action to be taken in a given situation, thus standardising medical performance as regards content. The implementation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is stimulated by government and health care insurers. Court decisions frequently refer to these guidelines. From a medical and legal perspective, the implementation of CPGs in daily medical practice has advantages (e.g. they contribute to best medical practice as well as to the quality of information to be provided to the patients), but also disadvantages (they may replace professional responsibility and may put cost containment over professional autonomy). CPGs may contribute to quality of care provided they are applied flexibly and responsibly.