Guidelines are not intended to supersede professional judgment;
rather, they may be viewed as a relative constraint on
individual clinician discretion in a particular clinical circumstance.
Less frequent variation in practice is expected for a
“strong recommendation” than might be expected with a “recommendation.”
“Options” offer the most opportunity for practice
variability.50 Clinicians should always act and decide in a
way that they believe will best serve their patients’ interests
and needs, regardless of guideline recommendations. They
must also operate within their scope of practice and according
to their training. Guidelines represent the best judgment of a
team of experienced clinicians and methodologists addressing
the scientific evidence for a particular topic.48