What guidelines should or should not be: Implications for guideline production

Abstract

European Renal Best Practice (ERBP) is the official guidanceproviding body of the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association. This paper introduces the mission statement of ERBP, and provides insight on what this implies for guideline production. We will discuss that improving patient outcome does not only require attention to high-quality evidence, but also understanding of the processes of medical decision making. We will advocate that rigorous methodology is the cornerstone of guideline production, but in those cases where this does not retrieve quality evidence, consensus-based guidance might be suitable. Based on its mission statement, ERBP advocates that guidelines should encourage shared decision making. © The Author 2012.