Letters
Opinion and evidence in guidelines
What is opinion and what is evidence?
BMJ 2019; 366 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l5395 (Published 13 September 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;366:l5395
- Stewart Forsyth, retired medical director and consultant paediatrician
- Dundee DD5 1JG, UK
- stewartforsyth{at}btinternet.com
Medicine is not an exact science, and some people consider it an art—the underlying assertion is that the best clinicians are not only knowledgeable but also have reliable clinical judgment.1 Nonetheless, Schünemann and colleagues say that guideline development needs to distinguish opinion from evidence.2 Although they provide key definitions for their conceptual …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £184 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£50 / $60/ €56 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.