A survey on the current state of development, dissemination and implementation of guidelines of clinical practice in European countries

In the context of ProGuide, a support action in the EU Telematics Application Programme, a survey was conducted in summer 1998 to collect information on the current state of the development, dissemination and implementation of guidelines of clinical practice in European countries. A survey questionnaire was mailed to a total of 292 organisations in all EU member countries and five Non-EU-member countries. A follow-up survey was conducted in April 1999 with a reduced set of questions and an altered questionnaire dissemination strategy relying more on telephone and fax communication. By May 1999, 69 organisations had answered and 43 questionnaires could be evaluated. Preliminary results suggest that in most of the responding countries, a wide range of organisations is involved in development, dissemination or implementation of guidelines. Paper-based ways of guideline dissemination still play a major role, although this may change in the future. Obstacles to guideline implementation range from policy issues to practical challenges of integrating guidelines into the care process.