Will the use of guidelines result in “cookbook medicine” and impede the judgment of the attending physician?

The Care Guidelines^® and other guidelines are widely used by physicians and providers in this country as tools to assist them in medical decision-making. Best described as a body of literature compiled into a form readily usable by busy physicians, nurses and other providers, the Care Guidelines^®—like other guidelines—require the use of clinical judgment. In no situation are they intended to be a substitute for sound clinical judgment applied to an individual patient's condition.