The guideline development process: One organization's experience with a guideline for stable COPD (PDF)

Finding optional ways to manage patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - the fourth leading cause of death in the US became a priority for this large mid-western collaborative of health care organizations. This this end, a guideline was developed to help clinicians identify, evaluate and manage COPD. This article provides an overview of the guideline development process and implementation approach, key guideline components, and the step-by-step pharmacologic treatment strategy.