Physician perception of clinical protocols

Abstract

Abstract
Clinical protocols are evidence-based sets of procedures and approaches aiming to improve medical practice and inform clinical decision-taking.  With a body of information about better and more appropriate approaches to specific clinical situations, clinical protocols allow for quicker and more efficient responses to disease to be made, while providing patients with better quality of life.  Guidelines seek to increase diagnostic accuracy, medical care quality, health services quality and cost control.  This study investigated physician use of protocols, their impact on medical practice and health system and the stance of physicians regarding the boundaries between patient individuality and predetermined therapy standardization. A nine-question questionnaire was answered individually and voluntarily by 80 physicians.  98.75% were aware of protocol use;  95% agreed with the use of protocols, of whom 83.75% did it partially; those interviewed recognized the limitations of protocol applicability; 38.75% considered clinical judgment to be paramount; 72.5% believed the protocols to be beneficial; 77.5% recognized cost reduction with their use.  In spite of limitations to their applicability, knowledge about and use of clinical protocols by physicians are already significant.  Clinical protocols are thus helpful tools that may be changed and that must be widely taught, permanently updated and adapted to each patient’s reality.