Practice Guidelines
Preventive and clinical practice guidelines are based on the health needs and opportunities for improvement identified as part of the Quality Assurance Program Improvement (QAPI) program. Whenever possible, PA Health & Wellness adopts preventive and clinical practice guidelines that are published by nationally recognized organizations or government institutions as well as state-wide collaborative and/or a consensus of healthcare professionals in the applicable field.
These guidelines are intended to clarify standards and expectations for providers. They should not:
- Come before the providers’ responsibility to provide treatment based on the participant’s individual needs.
- Substitute as orders for treatment of a participant.
- Guarantee coverage or payment for the type or level of care proposed or provided.
PA Health and Wellness' Clinical Practice and Preventive Guidelines may be accessed through the link below.
Adopted Clinical Practice and Preventive Health Guidelines (PDF)
Preventative Care
- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations - U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- Adult Preventive Screenings - United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- American Geriatrics Society 2019 Updated AGS Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults - American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
- Managing Medicines for Adults Receiving Social Care in the Community (2017) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- Adult Immunization Schedule - Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Recommended adult immunization schedule for ages 19 years and older, United States 2023
- Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) - United States, 2022-2023 Influenza Season - Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
- Final Recommendation Statement Gonorrhea and Chlamydia: Screening, September 2021 - U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- Guideline for clinical management of exposure to lead (2021) - World Health Organization (WHO)
- AFP by Topic: Prenatal (Publication dates vary) - American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
- AFP by Topic: Labor, Delivery, and Post-Partum Issues (Publication dates vary) - American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
- Guidelines for Perinatal Care, Eighth Edition (2017) - The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Available online for ACOG members only.
Disease Management
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute of Health; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Asthma Care Quick Reference Diagnosing and managing asthma. Guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Expert Panel Report 3 (Revised 2012)
- Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (Full Report July 2007) and 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines: A Report from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group (December 2020)
- 2022 GINA Report, Global Strategy For Asthma Management and Prevention - Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA)
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain (PDF) (2020) - North American Spine Society (NASS)
- VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain (2022) - Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense (VA/DoD)
- Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians (April 2017) - American College of Physicians
- Low Back Pain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (2012) - Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy
- ASCO Guidelines by Clinical Area - American Society of Clinical Oncology
- ASTRO Guidelines by Clinical Area - American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
- NCCN Guidelines® & Clinical Resources - National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
- Guideline for the Management of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. (2018) - American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation. (ACC)
- Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2023 Report) - The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD)
- Pharmacologic Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline. (2020) - American Thoracic Society
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2021) - United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD)
- Overview of Testing for SARS- CoV-2 (COVID-19) (Updated September 2022) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines. (Updated regularly) - National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- ACC/AHA Prevention Guideline: 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk. (Circulation. 2014; 129:S49-S73) (Published online November 2013) - American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Task Force
- Routine Assessment and Promotion of Physical Activity in Healthcare Settings; A scientific statement from the American heart association (Circulation. 2018; 137:e495–e522) - American Heart Association (AHA)
- AHA Scientific Statement: Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults (Circulation. 2013; 128:2422-2446) American Heart Association
- AHA/ACC/ASH Scientific Statement Treatment of Hypertension in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease (Circulation 2015;131:e435-e470) and (Correction 2016;134:e260) - American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and American Society of Hypertension
- AHA/ACCF Guideline: AHA/ACCF Secondary Prevention and Risk Reduction Therapy for Patients with Coronary and Other Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease, 2011 Update (Circulation. 2011; 124: 2458-2473) and (Correction 2015; 131: e048) - American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology Foundation
- 2019 AHA/ACCF Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines (Circulation 2019; 2019;140:e596–e646) and (Correction 2020; 141:e60, Correction 2020; 141:e774) - American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACC)
- 2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI Guideline for Coronary Artery Revascularization: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. (Published Dec. 2021) (Circulation. 2022;145:e18–e114) - American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association
- Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2021 - Society of Critical Care Medicine and European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.
- The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3) - Journal of the American Medical Association
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan—2022 Update - American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology
- Standards of Care in Diabetes - 2023 (Volume 46, Issue Supplement 1) - American Diabetes Association (ADA)
- Guidelines by Topic: Epilepsy (Publication Dates Vary) - American Academy of Neurology and American Epilepsy Society
- Choosing Wisely - Choosing Wisely; American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation
- 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines - American College of Cardiology (ACC) Foundation, American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA)
- NHF‐McMaster Guideline on Care Models for Hemophilia Management (2016) - National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Screening (2019) - United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- Prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Preexposure Prophylaxis (2023) - United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- Routine Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening (2014 - reaffirmed 2020) - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
- Guide for HIV/AIDS Program Clinical Care (PDF) (2014) - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Federally Approved Clinical Practice Guidelines for HIV/AIDS - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- ACC/AHA Prevention Guideline: 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults. (Circulation 2014; 129:S1-S45, Circulation 2014; 129:S46-S48, Circulation 2015; 132:e396) - American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force on Practice Guidelines
- ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AG S/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults - American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines
- 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NL A/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol - American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines
- 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults; A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines - Journal of the American College of Cardiology (ACC)
- 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Practice Guidelines - American Heart Association (AHA) International Society of Hypertension (ISH)
- Transitions of Care in the Long-Term Care Continuum Clinical Practice Guidelines - American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
- Practice Guideline Recommendations: Disease-Modifying Therapies for Adults with Multiple Sclerosis - Reaffirmed on September 18, 2021 - American Academy of Neurology
- CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain - United States, 2022 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis (2020 Update) - American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and American College of Endocrinology (ACE)
- ACOG Practice Bulletin N. 1. Osteoporosis Prevention, Screening, and Diagnosis (2021) - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
- Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care 4th Edition - National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care
- The Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline can help answer your Parkinson’s disease questions. Call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) or visit the Parkinson’s Foundation website.
- Management of Adults with Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: 2016 Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Thoracic Society (PDF) (2016) - Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Adults with Community-acquired Pneumonia. An Official Practice Guideline of the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America. (Published 2019) - American Thoracic Society (ATS), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
- Adult and Pediatric treatment recommendations - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- AFP by Topic: Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (Publication dates vary) - American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
- 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (PDF) - American College of Rheumatology (ACR)
- Sickle Cell Disease, Recommendations (Last reviewed October 21, 2021) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Evidence-Based Management of Sickle Cell Disease. Expert Panel Report, 2014 - National Institutes of Health Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- ASH Clinical Practice Guidelines on Sickle Cell Disease (2016) - American Society of Hematology
- Tobacco and Nicotine Cessation During Pregnancy. Committee Opinion No. 807 (April 2020, Reaffirmed 2023) - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
- Cessation Materials for State Tobacco Control Programs - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Adults, Including Pregnant Persons: Interventions (2021) - United Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- Management of Concussion-mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) (2021) - United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD)
- Adult Weight Management (AWM) Guideline (2021-22) - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology Comprehensive Clinical Practice Guidelines For Medical Care of Patients with Obesity - American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology
- 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults - American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA)
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of
- Managing Overweight and Obesity in Adults: Systematic Evidence Review from the Obesity Expert Panel (2013) - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- For Healthcare Providers: New Zika and Dengue Testing Guidance (November 2019) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Behavioral Health
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder in Adults: Management (Updated June 2020) - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- Applied Behavioral Analysis Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Practice Guidelines for Healthcare Funders and Managers, Second Edition (PDF) (2020) - The Council of Service Providers (CASP)
- Practice Parameters for Telehealth - Implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition (PDF) (2021) - The Council of Service Providers (CASP)
- Management of Major Depressive Disorder, 2022 - United States Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Defense (VA/DoD)
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Depression Across Three Age Cohorts, 2019 - American Psychological Association
- Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People, December 2015 - American Psychiatric Association (APA)
- VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Substance Use Disorders (PDF) (2015) - Department of Veterans Affairs
- American Society of Addiction Medicine. ASAM Criteria 3rd Edition (2013) - American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
- Clinical Practice review for OCD (2015) - Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
- National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (2020) - American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
- Federal Guidelines for Opioid Treatment Programs (March 2015) - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants (PDF) (January 2018) - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder (PDF) (2017) (Update in progress) - United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD)
- Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia. Third Edition (2020) - The American Psychiatric Association American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
- VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide (2019) - Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense (VA/DoD)
- Suicide Prevention (2022) - National Institute of Mental Health (NIH)
- Suicide Prevention (February 2023) - American Psychiatric Association (APA)