Implementation of Practice Guidelines

CLASS I
(1) Academic detailing or educational outreach visits are useful to facilitate the implementation of practice guidelines.

(2) Multidisciplinary disease-management programs for patients at high risk for hospital admission or clinical deterioration are recommended to facilitate the implementation of practice guidelines, to attack different barriers to behavioral change, and to reduce the risk of subsequent hospitalization for HF.

CLASS IIa
(1) Chart audit and feedback of results can be effective to facilitate implementation of practice guidelines.

(2) The use of reminder systems can be effective to facilitate implementation of practice guidelines.

(3) The use of performance measures based on practice guidelines may be useful to improve quality of care.

(4) Statements by and support of local opinion leaders can be helpful to facilitate implementation of practice guidelines.

CLASS IIb
(1) Multidisciplinary disease-management programs for patients at low risk for hospital admission or clinical deterioration may be considered to facilitate implementation of practice guidelines.


CLASS III
(1) Dissemination of guidelines without more intensive behavioral change efforts is not useful to facilitate implementation of practice guidelines.

(2) Basic provider education alone is not useful to facilitate implementation of practice guidelines.




JACC. 2009; 53; e1-e90