gms | German Medical Science

Over the last 20 years, Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have become an increasingly important tool for promoting high quality evidence informed healthcare. However guidelines are not self implementing and the development of high quality CPGs by themselves is likely to optimise care. Fortunately there is a wide range of potential dissemination and implementation strategies to promote uptake of CPGs. Further there is a substantial number of rigorous evaluations (mainly cluster randomised trials) that can inform the choice of CPG dissemination and implementation strategies. I will summarise the current evidence about the effects of different strategies and planned change models that can be used to tailor interventions to specific circumstances. Finally I will discuss the potential roles of developers and healthcare systems in promoting dissemination and implementation of CPGs.