[Depression and clinical practice guidelines: evidence or confusion. Study group on the prescription and psychotropic in primary care].

BACKGROUND

The need of designing clinical practice guidelines in the context of the evidence based medicine relates to different aspects concerning the characteristics of the clinical condition, the health care context, the utilization of health services, and the existing knowledge about the topic of study. The objective of this study was to review the guideline development method for managing depression in care and its implications in clinical practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Review and classification of scientific articles published between 1990 and 1997 about depression guidelines according to its method of development.

RESULTS

Between 1990 and 1997, 2 clinical practice guidelines on the management of depression were published using systematic review, 3 guidelines were developed through unsystematic review, 4 guidelines were developed from experts' consensus, and 19 published articles reviewed the applicability of the existing guidelines in the primary health care sector. Different points of view about the use of these guidelines had been detected.

CONCLUSIONS

In the context of the evidence-based medicine, one should take into account that the overall goal of guidelines development is to ensure its validity in different health care levels, as well as to gather professionals' acceptance of its use and applicability.