Recent developments in guidelines on benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Abstract

Guidelines within the healthcare system aim to rationalize the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of a particular disease and can be applicable on an international scale or may be country specific. Specialists, who determine the clinical evidence for individual practices, prepare these guidelines, and the strength of these recommendations depends on available evidence. The assessment of patients includes a minimal number of non-invasive tests. Only in cases of abnormalities are additional (more invasive) tests recommended. Treatment decisions should be evidence-based but, despite guidelines, the choice of treatment is often highly dependent on the personal preference of the urologist. Patients' awareness of different treatment options and their involvement in choosing a treatment is also increasing. Economical aspects are becoming more and more important in making healthcare decisions. Data on durability of treatments, however, are limited and deserve special attention in order to provide the most cost-effective care for different patient groups.