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January/February 1999

News

Government sets out its proposals on Viagra

RCP updates obesity guidelines to include drug therapy

Editorial

Getting to the heart of meta-analysis

Dr Matthew Lockyer, general practitioner, Suffolk

Personal View

New guidelines will benefit the infertile couple

The RCOG infertility guidelines provide invaluable advice for GPs and patients, as Dr Rob Wicks explains

Guideline Development

Guidelines promote effective GP treatment of menorrhagia

The main emphasis of the new RCOG guidelines is the provision of effective treatment for menorrhagia before referral, as Dr Kirsten Duckitt explains

Guideline Implementation

Formulating a policy for the use of eradication therapy

Dr Tom Kennedy describes how the PCSG guidelines helped his practice agree on a strategy for managing dyspepsia and peptic ulcer disease

Guidelines and the Law

Medicolegal and ethical aspects of guideline use

In the introduction to his series on the legal implications of guideline use, Dr Brian Hurwitz discusses the varying definitions of guidelines

IT Developments

Disseminating clinical guidelines using internet technology

Dr Steve Smith and Roberta Roberts describe their simple, cheap and effective system for distributing guidelines

Letters

What length antibiotic course is best for tonsillitis?

Guidelines in Practice welcomes letters; if would you like to share your views with other readers, please write in

Tips on Guideline Use

What are guidelines for?

Before deciding whether you need a guideline, it is vital to clarify your objectives, as Dr Mark Charny explains in the first of a new series

Questions & Answers

Your problems solved

Our editorial board answer your questions on adapting guidelines for local use and the role of audit

Out Of Hours

Evidence-based medicine a fascinating voyage

Dr Phil Hammond, GP, lecturer and presenter of BBC2's Trust Me, I'm a Doctor