Current Clinical Practice Guidelines
In recent years, the process of developing clinical practice guidelines has undergone significant re-evaluation by national professional organizations including the American Medical Association and the Institute of Medicine. With an eye toward increasing rigor and improving transparency, these organizations have articulated principles that form the foundation for new standards of guideline development. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) have both published statements on their websites in support of these new standards.
Historically Beacon Health Options, Inc. (Beacon) and its legacy companies adopted clinical practice guidelines published by the APA, AACAP, and other professional organizations. This was based on their reputation as primary contributors and developers of guidelines representing acceptable standards of care at the time of origination.
Related to the continued evolution of clinical practice guideline development calling for higher standards of evidence, the industry currently has maintained or produced a limited number of guidelines that meet the new standards for guideline rigor and transparency. Accordingly, Beacon has reviewed and adopted the following guidelines that meet those standards:
- American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline on the Use of Antipsychotics to Treat Agitation or Psychosis in Patients with Dementia
Published 2016, Reviewed July 2018
- American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines for the Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults, Third Edition
Published 2016, Reviewed February 2018
- American Society of Addiction Medicine National Practice Guideline for the Use of Medications in the Treatment of Addiction Involving Opioid Use and Synopsis
Published 2015, Reviewed July 2018
- Center for Disease Control Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain – United States, 2016 (adopted by Beacon as treatment recommendation for primary care or pain specialty practitioners)
Published 2016, Reviewed March 2018
- American Society of Addiction Medicine Consensus Statement -Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine
Published 2017, Adopted December 2017
- American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Pharmacological Treatment of Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder
Published 2018, Adopted February 2018
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
Published 2018, Adopted May 2018
- American Pain Society and College on Problems of Drug Dependence Methadone Safety: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American Pain Society and College on Problems of Drug Dependence, in Collaboration with the Heart Rhythm Society
Published 2014, Reviewed July 2018
Additional Resources
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment for Children-Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published 2014, Reviewed February 2017 - American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Practice Parameters for Eating Disorders
Published 2015, Adopted December 2016
- Department of Veteran’s Affairs and Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Substance Use Disorders (SUD)
Published 2015, Reviewed May 2017
- The United States Surgeon General Facing Addiction in American – The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health
Published 2016, Adopted June 2017
- National Institute of Mental Health Supplemental Information from NIH
Published 2016, Adopted July 2018
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinical Update: Telepsychiatry with Children and Adolescents
Published 2017, Adopted April 2018
- Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement Major Depression in Adults in Primary Care Guideline and Executive Summary
Published 2016, Reviewed December 2016
The Beacon Health Options Scientific Review Committee (SRC) reviews and/or updates current guidelines or those required by individual contracts at least every two years. Historical guidelines are provided for informational purposes only and are not subject to the same review.