--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important limitation of…" description: "\"“The most important limitation of [clinical] guidelines is that the recommendations may be wrong... Practices that are sub-optimal from the patient’s p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/steven-h-woolf-280034_cfs_the-most-important-limitation-of-clinica_1464808.jpg" --- # The most important limitation of \[clinical\] guidelines is… ![“The most important limitation of [clinical] guidelines is that the recommendations may be wrong... Practices that are sub-optimal from the patient’s perspective may be recommended to help control costs, serve societal needs, or protect special interests (those of doctors…or politicians, for…” quote by Steven H. Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/steven-h-woolf-280034_cfs_the-most-important-limitation-of-clinica_1464808.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/steven-h-woolf-280034_cfs_the-most-important-limitation-of-clinica_1464808.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/steven-h-woolf-280034_cfs_the-most-important-limitation-of-clinica_1464808.jpg) > ““The most important limitation of \[clinical\] guidelines is that the recommendations may be wrong... Practices that are sub-optimal from the patient’s perspective may be recommended to help control costs, serve societal needs, or protect special interests (those of doctors…or politicians, for example).”” [Steven H. Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-h-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights that clinical guidelines can be flawed, driven by cost, societal needs, or special interests, potentially harming patients. **In simple terms:** Guidelines may be wrong, prioritize costs over patients. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate guidelines before following. Themes medicine ethics policy patient care cost control interest groups Mood critical concerned Type Cfs:1 Cfs-me:1 Chronic-fatigue-syndrome:1 Cost-cutting:1 Doctor:1 Illness-stigma:1 Invisible-illness-quotes:1 Me-cfs:1 Myalgic-encephalomyelitis:1 NHS:1 Nice-guidelines:1 Patience:1 Limitation Clinical:1 Clinical Guidelines:1 Guidelines Recommendations:1 Important Limitation:1 Optimal Patient:1 When to use this quote - clinical practice - health policy Key Concepts critical thinking advocacy Questions to Reflect On - How can clinicians balance guidelines with patient needs? - What reforms improve guideline integrity? A Different Perspective Guidelines are essential despite flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cfs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cfs/) [Cfs-me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cfs-me-29404/) [Chronic-fatigue-syndrome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/) [Clinical Guidelines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinical-guidelines-5301282/) [Cost-cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-cutting-38315/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Guidelines Recommendations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guidelines-recommendations-5301283/) [Illness-stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness-stigma-88926/) [Important Limitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-limitation-5301284/) [Invisible-illness-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible-illness-quotes-94128/) [Limitation Clinical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitation-clinical-5301281/) [Me-cfs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me-cfs/) [Myalgic-encephalomyelitis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myalgic-encephalomyelitis/) [NHS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nhs/) [Nice-guidelines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-guidelines-131435/) [Optimal Patient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimal-patient-5301285/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) ## Related quotes > [“Learning how to walk through walls was an ambitious but inexpensive enterprise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/learning-how-to-walk-through-walls-was-an-ambitious-but-inexpensive/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) ## More Cfs quotes > [The Lord came to send fire upon the earth (cf. Lk. 12:49), and through participation in this fire He makes divine not just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-palamas/the-lord-came-to-send-fire-upon-the-earth-cf-lk-12-49-and-through/) [Gregory Palamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-palamas/) > [Gluttony should be destroyed by self-control; unchastity by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store; avarice by compassion for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-damascus/gluttony-should-be-destroyed-by-self-control-unchastity-by-desire-for/) [John of Damascus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-damascus/) > ["If any man thirst, let him come and drink from the rivers of living water" (cf. John 7:38). Where shall he who thirsts come?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyprian/if-any-man-thirst-let-him-come-and-drink-from-the-rivers-of-living/) [Cyprian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyprian/) > [His Majesty knows best what is suitable for us. There's no need for us to be advising Him about what He should give us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/his-majesty-knows-best-what-is-suitable-for-us-there-s-no-need-for-us/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Apostolic and missionary fruitfulness is not principally due to programmes and pastoral methods that are cleverly drawn up and "efficient", but is the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/apostolic-and-missionary-fruitfulness-is-not-principally-due-to/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [“The single biggest factor determining recovery and remission from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) at this point is undoubtedly appropriate rest in the early and/or severe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-bassett/the-single-biggest-factor-determining-recovery-and-remission-from/) [Jodi Bassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-bassett/) > [We are assailed by the temptation of the love of money. If you wish to acquire riches ? they are the bait of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pachomius-the-great/we-are-assailed-by-the-temptation-of-the-love-of-money-if-you-wish-to/) [Pachomius the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pachomius-the-great/) > [Holy love has a way of consuming some. This is what is meant by the one who said, 'You have ravished our hearts' (Sg.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/holy-love-has-a-way-of-consuming-some-this-is-what-is-meant-by-the/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > [For him who is perfect in love and has reached the summit of dispassion there is no difference between his own or another's, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximus-the-confessor/for-him-who-is-perfect-in-love-and-has-reached-the-summit-of/) [Maximus the Confessor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximus-the-confessor/) > [“There are many reports that suggest a biomedical basis for post-exertional malaise. This is inconsistent with the assumption that there is pathological avoidance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sten-helmfrid/there-are-many-reports-that-suggest-a-biomedical-basis-for-post/) [Sten Helmfrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sten-helmfrid/) > [“In July and August 2011 Simon Wessely ran a media campaign with the BBC and the broadsheets, successfully vilifying patients who had justifiably criticised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-reid/in-july-and-august-2011-simon-wessely-ran-a-media-campaign-with-the/) [Horace Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-reid/) > [Keep the Feast of the Resurrection. Be a Peter or a John; hasten to the Sepulchre, running together, running against one another, vying in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-of-nazianzus/keep-the-feast-of-the-resurrection-be-a-peter-or-a-john-hasten-to-the/) [Gregory of Nazianzus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-of-nazianzus/) > [ “To replace ME/CFS, the \[Institute of Medicine\] committee proposes the name systemic exertion intolerance disease, or SEID. This name captures a central characteristic of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-wright-clayton/to-replace-me-cfs-the-institute-of-medicine-committee-proposes-the/) [Ellen Wright Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-wright-clayton/) > ['The long-suffering man abounds in understanding' (Prov. 14:29), because he endures everything to the end and, while awaiting that end, patiently bears his distress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximus-the-confessor/the-long-suffering-man-abounds-in-understanding-prov-14-29-because-he/) [Maximus the Confessor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximus-the-confessor/) > [“Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling condition characterized by severe unexplained fatigue and a mixed profile of symptoms such as sore throat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-a-jason/myalgic-encephalomyelitis-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs-is-a/) [Leonard A. Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-a-jason/) [Browse all 134 Cfs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cfs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The most important limitation of [clinical] guidelines is that the recommendations may be wrong... Practices that are sub-optimal from the patient’s perspective may be recommended to help control costs, serve societal needs, or protect special interests (those of doctors…or politicians, for example).”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven H. Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-h-woolf/the-most-important-limitation-of-clinical-guidelines-is-that-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cfs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-h-woolf/the-most-important-limitation-of-clinical-guidelines-is-that-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/steven-h-woolf-280034_cfs_the-most-important-limitation-of-clinica_1464808.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/steven-h-woolf-280034_cfs_the-most-important-limitation-of-clinica_1464808.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/steven-h-woolf-280034_cfs_the-most-important-limitation-of-clinica_1464808.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The most important limitation of [clinical] guidelines is that the recommendations may be wrong... Practices…” — Steven H. Woolf", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Steven H. Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-h-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The most important limitation of [clinical]...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-h-woolf/the-most-important-limitation-of-clinical-guidelines-is-that-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-h-woolf/the-most-important-limitation-of-clinical-guidelines-is-that-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```