THE LEGAL STATUS OF CLINICAL GUIDELINES IN MEDICAL PRACTICE

Clinical guidelines aim to provide up-to-date information compiled into a single document to help physicians make the best medical decisions for their patients. Systematically developed, evidence-based clinical guidelines are used as a quality strategy in many countries. Clinical guidelines can reduce unwarranted differences in medical practice, improve the application of research into practice and improve the quality and safety of health care. However, the physician has professional autonomy, so whether or not the clinical guidelines are mandatory for physicians remains unclear. This article aims to assess whether the Lithuanian legal regulation establishes the physician’s duty to follow clinical guidelines in all cases when providing health care services to a specific patient. It also analyzes the physician’s duties and the legal regulation, established in Article 20 of the Law on the Health System of the Republic of Lithuania.