Clinical Practice Guidelines

Clinical Practice Guidelines

A clinical practice guideline is a document which seeks to guide decisions about the diagnosis and treatment of certain health conditions. Clinical practice guidelines are based on scientific evidence, review of the medical literature, or appropriately established authority. All recommendations are based on published agreed on guidelines and do not favor any particular treatment based solely on cost considerations.

NBH encourages the use of evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines by our providers and has adopted Practice Guidelines for prevention, diagnosis and management for several behavioral health conditions. These guidelines are developed by the nationally recognized National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to monitor and evaluate the quality of care provided to our members. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) have both published statements on their websites in support of these new standards.

NBH promotes implementation of these Practice Guidelines via dissemination among providers and uses numerous performance measures to provide feedback to achieve consistent and high-quality health outcomes for our members.

Guidelines are reviewed at a minimum of once every two years. The Quality Improvement Committee, which includes the Medical Director and other practitioners, participate in this review and approve any changes. Paper copies of the guidelines themselves are available on request at -702-857-8800, as well as below at the links provided.

The practice guidelines are not intended to be required treatment protocols. Physicians and other health professionals must rely on their own expertise in evaluating and treating individuals. Practice guidelines are not a substitute for the best professional judgment of physicians and other health professionals.

Clinical Practice Performance Measurement