[Role of guidelines in the context of future management of the social state].

The discussion on guidelines concerns contexts which clearly go beyond isolated medical facts. Particularly in view of complex nature of interlinked medical, organisational and financial processes in health care this discussion fulfils an important function. Rationality of diagnostic and therapeutic events for which in particular physicians are responsible has to be improved so that rationalisation which helps to avoid rationing may be established also in this field. The following text describes this context, gives examples to illustrate the situation and on this basis formulates expectations to be fulfilled by all those involved in this process.