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.