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Quick Links
What are CPG's?
They are systematiclly developed statements that assist healthcare professionals in making informed decisions about patient care.
Learn more »
Your opinion counts!
If you have any suggestions referencing the clinical practice guidelines please send us an email and share your thoughts.
Learn more »
About VA/DOD CPG
The Evidence-Based Practice Work Group selects topics for implementation of evidence-based...
Learn more »
What are CPG's?
Your opinion counts!
About VA/DOD CPG
VHA, in collaborations with the Department of Defense (DOD) and other leading professional organizations, has been developing clinical practice guidelines since the early 1990s. In 2010 the Institute of Medicine identified VA/DOD as leaders in clinical practice guideline development.
Implementation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines is one strategy VHA has embraced to improve care by reducing variation in practice and systematizing “best practices”. Guidelines address patient cohorts, serve to reduce errors, and provide consistent quality of care and utilization of resources throughout and between the VA and DOD health care systems. Guidelines are also cornerstones for accountability and facilitate learning and the conduct of research. The guidelines on this site are those endorsed by the VA/DOD Evidence Based Practice Work Group.
Here is a link to our Department of Defense (DOD) colleagues website:
Defense Health Agency (DHA) Clinical Quality Improvement Program
Guidelines
What's New!
CPG Resources
Guidelines
Clinical practice guidelines are used in health care to improve patient care as a potential solution to reduce inappropriate variations in care. Guidelines should be evidence based, incorporate patient input, as well as explicit criteria to ensure internal validity.
The use of guidelines must always be in the context of a health care provider's clinical judgment in the care of a particular patient. For this reason, the guidelines may be viewed as an educational tool to provide information in shared decision making.
*** Update of CPG in Progress
Chronic Disease in Primary Care
Asthma
Chronic Insomnia Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Insomnia/OSA)
The Primary Care Management of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Management of Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI)
Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Diabetes Mellitus (DM)
Lipids
Hypertension (HTN)
The Non-Surgical Management of Hip & Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)
Obesity and Overweight (OBE)
Tinnitus
Tobacco Use Treatment
Mental Health
Bipolar Disorder (BD)
Management of First-Episode Psychosis and Schizophrenia (SCZ)
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Pain
Headache
Lower Back Pain (LBP)
Use of Opioids in the Management of Chronic Pain
Rehabilitation
Lower Limb Amputation
Management and Rehabilitation of Post-Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)
Stroke Rehabilitation
The Management of Upper Limb Amputation Rehabilitation (ULA)
Women's Health
Pregnancy
Retired CPG's can be found on our
archive page
What's New!
New and Newly Updated Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) and Associated Tools
Tobacco Use Treatment (2026)
Lipids Management for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction (2025)
Management of Adult Overweight and Obesity (2025)
The Primary Care Management of Chronic Kidney Disease (2025)
The Primary Care Management of Asthma (2025)
The Management of Chronic Insomnia Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Insomnia/OSA) (2025)
Rehabilitation of Lower Limb Amputation (2025)
The VA and Department of Defense (DOD) have collaboratively developed evidence-based clinical practice guidelines since the 1990s.
The CPGs provide information that is evidence-based and unbiased by conflict of interest. They are based on the best available evidence at the date of publication, and are intended to provide a general guide to best practices.
These guidelines can assist healthcare providers, but the use of a CPG must always be considered as a recommendation, within the context of a provider’s clinical judgment, for the care of an individual patient.
Listed below are the Updated CPG links:
Tobacco Use Treatment (2026)
Lipids Management for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction (2025)
Management of Adult Overweight and Obesity (2025)
The Primary Care Management of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
The Primary Care Management of Asthma (2025)
The Management of Chronic Insomnia Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Insomnia/OSA) (2025)
Rehabilitation of Lower Limb Amputation (2025)
VA/DOD CPGs are recognized nationally and internationally as exemplars, and their quality speaks for itself. The Director of the Evidence-Based Practice Program, Dr. James Sall, recognizes that the tremendous dedication, time, expertise, and energy of the work group members are entirely responsible for the quality reputation of our CPGs. He sincerely thanks the Champions and Work Group members for providing our health care teams with the tools for providing Veterans optimal evidence-based care.
CPG Resources
Epocrates (Online Guidelines)
Evidence-Based Synthesis Program
Guide to US Preventive Service Task Force
Pharmacy Benefits Management (VA)
VHA Preventive Health
The following sites provide additional information on evidence-based clinical practice:
QUERI
- VA/HSR&D Quality Enhancement Research Initiative - which works to improve the quality of health care for veterans by implementing research findings into routine practice
ECRI Guideline Trust
* is a public resource for disseminating evidence-based clinical practice guidelines
MyHealthE Vet
is the VA on-line personal health record that allows veterans to access their own health information as well as a wealth of patient education materials
Defense Health Agency Medical Affairs/Clinical Support Division
* is the world-wide contact point for clinical guidelines used by all branches of the service
* Links will take you outside the VA/DOD CPG web site. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for content on the linked sites.
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