Evidence-Based Medicine and Guideline-conform Treatment

The adequate, individualized treatment of patients depends on increasing detailed cognition, on specific techniques and on new approaches. Due to the short half-life and abundance of details regarding medical knowledge, the individual may be insecure of the appropriate therapy. By use of clinical guidelines, evidence-based medicine (EBM) offers decision corridors for the individualized therapy of patients. Scientific publications are judged with help of defined techniques and methods, results will be translated into clinical reality by recommendations for treatment. That requires experts who carefully develop guidelines by use of an interdisciplinary approach, moderated by independent institutions such as AWMF and/or AZQ.The described work of the guideline committee of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fiir Thorax-, Herzund Gefasschirurgie aims to encourage the reader to actively participate on this important, exiting and self-teaching mission.