[Changing views: consequences of guideline revisions for the individual patient]

Guidelines contain evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice. Physicians and other healthcare providers are expected to follow these guidelines to provide proper care to their patients. Deviation from guidelines is possible, but should be undertaken for a reason. New evidence and insights involve guidelines having to be revised periodically. What are the implications of such revisions for doctors and patients? And what can be done about patients who have been lost to care but who are eligible for treatment according to the new guideline? Difficult dilemmas lie in waiting. It is a joint responsibility of both drafters and users of guidelines to implement changes in guidelines appropriately for the individual patient.