Evidence-Based Guidelines in Urology

Clinical practice guidelines are an important tool for urologists to use to achieve evidencebased medical practice and optimal patient outcomes. High-quality practice guidelines are rigorously developed using a transparent, reproducible, explicit process; are valid (unbiased); and are applicable to populations of interest to the practicing urologist. There are often gaps in the underlying evidence upon which practice guidelines are based, however, leaving the physician to make clinical recommendations using the best available evidence, taking into consideration the clinical context, and the individual patient's values and preferences.