Diagnostic Accuracy and Therapeutic Reliability in Pediatric Emergency Medicine: The Role of Evidence-Based Guidelines

Evidence-based guidelines are increasingly used within health care delivery systems to improve the quality of care delivered within local institutions. When created systematically through a transparent process by multidisciplinary teams, guidelines can serve as a means to improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic reliability. This review summarizes the justification for the development of evidence-based guidelines, the process of guideline development and implementation, and the tracking of outcomes to reduce variation in care and standardized practice. The development and implementation of such guidelines in pediatric emergency medicine have demonstrated several improvements in quality of care, and the outcomes derived are delineated within this review.