APA Posts Updates On Practice Guidelines

In an effort to keep members and other clinicians as up to date as possible on key developments in psychiatric practice, APA has begun publishing a new series of “Practice Guideline Watches” (see related“ Viewpoints” on Original article: page 34).

These are interim reports that follow publication of a practice guideline and describe important developments in the evidence base related to a disorder or other topic addressed in one of the guidelines. Through these updates, APA is able to keep clinicians informed between major revisions of a practice guideline.

The updates are written and reviewed by experts associated with the development of the original guideline and are approved for publication by APA's Executive Committee on Practice Guidelines. Thus, watches represent opinions of the authors and approval of the Executive Committee but are not policy of APA.

The first of the “Practice Guideline Watches” appeared last August and updated the guidelines on psychiatric evaluation, delirium, and Alzheimer's disease and other late-life dementias. Two additional watches are scheduled to be published this month and will address developments related to major depressive disorder and eating disorders.

Information on APA's practice guidelines and the new watches are posted online at<www.psych.org/psych_pract/treatg/pg/prac_guide.cfm> The updates appear under the column labeled “Watch.”▪