[The clinical guidelines as a potential tool to improving health care quality].

There is an increasing demand to ensure quality in the providing and receiving health care. Health care services face different challenges, such as: a growing aging population, increasing care costs, variations in clinical practice, and a fasting increase in the generation of information on diagnostic methods and therapies. In this context, a wave of development and use of clinical guidelines (CGL) based on scientific evidence has emerged worldwide, with the aim to creating tools to promote clinical excellence in practice. Our country and the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), with its experience in developing CGL has joined this trend as a main project. It is beneficial for IMSS health professionals and their patients. The aim of this paper is to present general information on definitions, structure, quality standards, development proceedings, updating, and potential advantages and disadvantages by using CGL. To achieve the expectations of a positive impact on quality and the health care budget distribution, health care personnel must be open to and receptive to the CGL recommendations and be flexible in changing their clinical practice.