[Clinical guidelines and the practice of scientific evidence-based cardiology. Part I]

Scientific medical information presents special characteristics, particularly its huge quantity as well as the speed with which it evolves as a result of cardiological research. These facts create difficulties in transferring research results into practice, thereby delaying the benefits of medical advances to patients. One of the possible solutions to this problem is the development, dissemination and implementation of clinical practice guidelines, as a clinical decision support system as well as a quality assurance methodology. The process of developing clinical practice guidelines involves a needs assessment, individual formulations, implementation and evaluation, as well as periodic revisions. It constitutes a complex activity, requiring technical and scientific resources for a good design and an efficacious practical implementation. In this article--as well as the next--we will present and discuss the methodology of creation, structure, evaluation and implementation of clinical practice guidelines, as a clinical decision support system as well as a quality assurance methodology in cardiology.