Clinical guidelines

Kaiser Permanente's Clinical Guidelines are systematically developed statements* to assist patients and providers in choosing appropriate health care for specific clinical conditions. While guidelines are useful aids to help providers determine appropriate practices for many patients with specific clinical problems or prevention issues, these guidelines are not meant to replace the clinical judgment of the individual provider or establish a standard of care. The recommendations contained in the guidelines may not be appropriate for use in all circumstances. The inclusion of a recommendation in a guideline does not imply coverage. A decision to adopt any particular recommendation must be made by the provider in light of the circumstances presented by the individual patient.

While the general recommendations in these guidelines will be applicable to your practice, most of the guidelines include some content specific to the Kaiser Permanente delivery system. We are confident that, for the most part, the information you find here will be both useful and relevant.

For questions, please contact John Dunn, MD, medical director for Knowledge & Implementation, Quality & Safety, at john.b.dunn@kp.org.

All materials are in print-friendly PDF format.

• Acute Opioid Prescribing Safety (PDF)
• Alcohol: Adolescent use (PDF)
• Alcohol: Adult unhealthy drinking (PDF)
• Asthma (PDF)
• Back pain (PDF)
• Benzodiazepine and Z-Drug safety (PDF)
• Cardiovascular disease: Primary prevention (PDF)
• Cardiovascular disease: Secondary prevention (PDF)
• Cervical cancer screening (PDF)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (PDF)
• Chronic opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain (PDF)
• Colorectal cancer screening (PDF)
• Depression: Adult and adolescent (PDF)
• Depression: Perinatal (PDF)
• Diabetes type 1 (PDF)
• Diabetes type 2 (PDF)
• Gestational diabetes (PDF)
• Insomnia (PDF)
• Lung cancer screening (PDF)
• Migraine and tension headache (PDF)
• Opioid use disorders (PDF)
• Osteoporosis (PDF)
• Pulmonary embolism diagnosis and treatment (PDF)
• Sexually transmitted infection (PDF)
• Tobacco and nicotine cessation (PDF)
• Weight management (PDF)

* The evidence-based process of clinical guideline development includes review of peer-reviewed medical literature, defined as: Medical literature published in professional journals that submit articles for review by experts who are not part of the editorial staff. Peer-reviewed medical literature does not include publications or supplements to publications primarily intended as marketing material for pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, medical devices, health service providers, or insurance carriers.