AGREE to disagree: critical appraisal and the publication of practice guidelines

Treatment guidelines are important in influencing public policy, promoting distributive justice and advocating better healthcare delivery for those in need. With an increased frequency in publication of clinical guidelines in South Africa, there is a heightened responsibility to ensure the application of due process throughout their development and publication. The need for consensus opinion is critical in the application of evidence-based medicine principles, and clinical guidelines contribute fundamentally towards the process of decision making and prioritisation. The SAMJ has recognised these imperatives as well as the important role that guidelines play in setting standards for clinical practice. In fulfilling this obligation, this editorial introduces the journal's readership to the AGREE II instrument as an objective appraisal mechanism against which prospective clinical guidelines will be assessed prior to their publication.