The core processes for supporting acute care are in many ways
similar to those required to achieve effective preventive and chronic
care. Developing processes for the management of the most common
acute problems, such as otitis media, pharyngitis, fever, gastroenteritis, and
asthma, enables practices to provide more consistent and reliable
care. Clinical practice guidelines are now readily accessible for many
of these conditions. Guidelines can provide a much needed interface
between evidence and practice.17 By distilling
relevant clinical research and making it readily available, guidelines
can point the way to higher-quality, evidence-based, and more cost-effective
care. Many guideline recommendations are embedded in companion documents
and processes to promote easy access to the best evidence at the
point of care. These tools may include a clinical pathway, standing
order sets, a parent edition of the guideline, an education record,
and discharge goals and instructions for patients.