Clinical Practice and Preventive Health Guidelines

All BCBSNC guidelines are based on the most current scientific evidence, and are adapted from standards published by nationally recognized authorities. In addition, each guideline is reviewed and approved annually by BCBSNC's Physician Advisory Group.

Click on the links below to download the guidelines in PDF format.

Preventive Care Guidelines

Preventive Care Guidelines are standards of care developed to encourage the appropriate provision of preventive services to patients, according to their age, gender, and risk-status. These services include screenings, immunizations, and physical examinations.

 Preventive Care Guidelines

Clinical Practice Guidelines

Clinical Practice Guidelines are systematically developed statements that help practitioners make decisions about appropriate health care for specific chronic or acute clinical circumstances.

Asthma

Source: National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3-Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma
Website: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm 

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Website: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;128/5/1007
Source: Magellan Health Services
Clinical Practice Guideline Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Source: Magellan Health Services
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Tip Sheet

Cholesterol Management

Source: National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung Blood Institute – National Cholesterol Eduation Program. Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III)
Website: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/index.htm

Depression

Source: American Psychiatric Association
Website: www.psychiatryonline.com/pracGuide/pracGuideTopic_7.aspx
Depression Screening Tools
Source: U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF). Screening for Depression in Adults. December 2009.
Website: www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsaddepr.htm

Source: U.S. Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF). Screening for Major Depressive Disorder in Children and Adolescents. March 2009.
Website: www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspschdepr.htm

Heart Failure

Evaluation and Management
Source: ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult
Website: www.americanheart.org

Hypertension

Source: National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung Blood Institute - Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7)
Website: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/jnc7full.htm

Overweight and Obesity

Source: National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung Blood Institute - The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults
Website: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/practgde.htm

Tobacco Counseling

For more information on evidence-based clinical tobacco cessation interventions, BCBSNC recommends TobaccoCME.com. TobaccoCME.com is a unique, online training program for primary care health professionals in how to provide clinical tobacco interventions. Content is evidence-based and reviewed by tobacco control experts from various medical and counseling fields and primary care physicians. Courses provide comprehensive, high quality, respected curricula that cover the range of topics related to clinical tobacco interventions. The courses function autonomously once curriculum development is complete. A case-based format is used in some courses and interactive questions are used throughout all courses to better facilitate transfer of knowledge to clinical skills. Resources include printable patient handouts, succinct clinical practice guides, related Internet links, counseling, resources, reimbursement information, reading lists, references, and ordering information for patient brochures and videos. All courses are free. Credits are available through CME, ACCME, CCME, AAFP, ACPE and NNBC. To access the website, visit www.tobaccocme.com.