Practice Guidelines and Outcomes Overview

Overview

Some of the major challenges in today's health care arena relate to provision of documentation that patient care is efficient and physician choices for treatment lead to appropriate patient outcomes.

The AAPM&R Practice Guidelines Committee and staff in the Department of Health Policy and Practice Services:

• Provide information to the membership about practice guidelines impacting physiatric practice;

• Evaluate existing practice guidelines to determine if the guideline should be endorsed or approved by the Academy;

• Work with other professional associations or physicians to develop practice guidelines, which includes identifying physiatrist experts to serve on panels to develop guidelines or to review guidelines;

• Develop practice guidelines based on expert opinion and supported by scientific literature, when literature is available;

• Periodically review and update all relevant practice guidelines developed by the Academy;

• Coordinate practice parameter efforts within AAPM&R;

• Evaluate and assess outcomes of practice guidelines;

• Assure that AAPM&R abides by the American Medical Association's "Attributes to Guide Development of Practice Guidelines"; and,

• Advise the AAPM&R Board of Governors on all issues related to practice guidelines.

The following resources are available to AAPM&R members:

• Definitions of Terms
  This article provides definitions for the terms practice parameters, practice guidelines, clinical algorithms, clinical or critical pathways, protocols, utilization review criteria standards and outcome measurements.

• Practice Guideline Resources
  This document provides descriptions of practice guidelines that may be of interest to physiatrists, and how to obtain them.

• Academy Members Willing to Serve on Writing Committees for Practice Guidelines
  This information is organized by topic to include musculoskeletal medicine, stroke, chronic pain management/syndrome, myofascial pain/trigger points, low back pain, sports medicine/rehabilitation, back pain, TBI, spinal cord injury, spine, neck pain, EMG/NCS, upper extremity cumulative trauma, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, amputee rehabilitation. Only names are listed. Academy members can use their Academy directories to access telephone numbers and addresses, or e-mail staff (members only) for information.

For more information, please contact the Academy office at (312) 464-9700.