[The physician between guidelines and patient individuality]

Guidelines and individual patient care are not contradictory but rather complementary. They provide orientation to physicians in situations of complexity and lack of clarity. In addition, they simplify and speed up the process of practical implementation of new medical knowledge in the patient care. Guidelines are also a systematic principle that helps to recognize and avoid diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainty, as well as to protect patients. Furthermore, well-understood guidelines mean that the physician is less burdened and can dedicate himself to something currently missing in the physician-patient relationship: time for comprehensive medical interviews.