[Experience of the Mexican National Health System in the development of clinical practice guidelines].

Background: Clinical practice guidelines are tools that have been able to streamline decisions made in health issues and to decrease the gap between clinical action and scientific evidence.

Objective: The objective of the study is to share the experience in the development and to update the guidelines by the National Health System of Mexico.

Material And Methods: The methodology in the development of the guidelines consists of 5 phases: prioritisation, establishment of work groups, development by adoption of international guidelines of de novo, validation and integration in the Master catalogue of clinical practice guidelines for its dissemination.

Results: The Master catalogue of clinical practice guidelines contains 664 guidelines, distributed in 42% Internal Medicine, 22% Surgery, 24% Pediatrics and 12% Gynecology. From the total of guidelines coverage is granted at an 85% of the Universal catalogue of health services, an 84% of the Catastrophic expenses protection fund and a 61% of the XXI Century Medical Insurance of the National Commission of Social Protection in Health.

Discussion: The result is the sum of a great effort of coordination and cooperation between the institutions of the National Health System, political wills and a commitment of 3,477 health professionals that participate in guidelines' development and update.

Conclusion: Master catalogue guidelines' integration, diffusion and implantation improve quality of attention and security of the users of the National Health System.