Management of hyperlipidaemia : a protocol

Abstract

A protocol is an agreed method of dealing with a process that relates to medicine which is written down, worked to by a group of people and which is regularly reviewed. 1. One needs a protocol to ensure consistent management between doctors; 2. One also needs a protocol to guide fellow paramedics about what one needs them to do. 3. A further reason to have a protocol is that if one is working as a team say in the care of diabetics, if everybody involved in the care - the specialist, the GP, the nurse and the health educator have all been involved in the drawing up of the protocol they will all feel committed to it and they will all know what other members of the team are doing. 4. Having drawn up a protocol, one can then assess what skills are needed by every- body involved in the care. If needed, further education can be given if anybody involved lacks the necessary skills. 5. If one has a protocol, one has defined exactly what one is aiming to do and if good records are kept after a few months one can go back and assess whether one has kept to one's protocol and what standard of care has been given to the patients. This is practice audit.