[Are practice guidelines being followed in specialized care?]

We surveyed to which extent the processes of examination and treatment in 2012 were based on guidelines based on evaluated scientific evidence within the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa. The survey was directed at the fulfillment of 31 Current Care guidelines and 19 HALO guidelines, four nursing science guidelines as well as one physiotherapeutic guideline in a total of 1,318 patients. Current Care guidelines were mainly fulfilled well. Poor fulfillment of drug recommendations after hospitalization was alarming. HALO guidelines were moderately well fulfilled, whereas there were defects in adherence to the nursing science and physiotherapeutic guidelines.