Navigating Changes in Treatment Advice

Changing guidelines for treatment of several common conditions can be confusing for doctors and patients, a doctor writes in a new blog posting. The writer is Suzanne Koven, M.D., an internist. The Boston Globe published it January 27. Dr. Koven writes about how recent guideline changes have affected her and her patients. The guidelines include those for high blood pressure, cholesterol and cervical cancer screening. Some of them make big changes to the way she has practiced medicine for decades. For example, the new guidelines say no treatment is needed for some older patients who might have been treated for high blood pressure in the past. Changes like these can make patients uneasy and shake their trust in their doctors, Dr. Koven writes. But they are based on evidence and the goal is better care.