best practice
Meaning of best practice: Best practice guidelines are periodically revised as new research emerges, meaning the recommended approach for a given condition can change over time.
Definition of best practice
Best practice refers to a treatment, procedure, or approach that professional consensus, drawing on available research and clinical experience, identifies as the most appropriate and effective option currently available for a given situation. The term is used broadly across medicine and extends to other fields as well, wherever an established, evidence informed approach is recognized as preferable to alternatives.
Best practice guidelines are typically developed and published by professional medical organizations, drawing together available research evidence with the collective experience of practicing clinicians, and are periodically revised as new evidence becomes available.
Best practice is a related but distinct concept from the legal standard of care, which refers to the level of care a reasonably competent professional would provide under similar circumstances, since best practice describes an aspirational, evidence based benchmark rather than a specific legal threshold.
Used in a sentence
The treatment plan was updated to reflect current best practice for managing the condition.
Good to know
Best practice and standard of care are often used as though interchangeable, though best practice describes an evidence based benchmark while standard of care refers to a distinct legal concept.