Practice Guidelines

AASLD develops evidence-based practice guidelines and practice guidances which are updated regularly by a committee of hepatology experts and include recommendations of preferred approaches to the diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive aspects of care.

Practice Guidelines

AASLD practice guidelines are developed by a multidisciplinary panel of experts who rate the quality (level) of the evidence and the strength of each recommendation using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system (GRADE).

Guidelines are developed using clinically relevant questions, which are then answered by systematic reviews of the literature, and followed by data-supported recommendations.

Practice Guidances

AASLD practice guidances are developed by a panel of experts on a topic, and guidance statements are put forward to help clinicians understand and implement the most recent evidence.

Recently AASLD has published guidances on aspects of a topic that lacked sufficient data to perform systematic reviews. Many guidelines published before 2014 are being updated as guidances.

AASLD provides access to the full text guideline PDFs for personal use. Summary versions are available for recent guidelines.

Learn more about AASLD Practice Guideline Development here [PDF].

Guidelines / Guidance Development

AASLD strives to review and update its Practice Guidelines every five (5) years, as necessary. Users are cautioned that in the interim, scientific and medical developments may supersede or invalidate, in whole or in part, specific recommendations in any Guideline. A Guideline is considered to be "inactive" if it has not been updated by AASLD in at least five (5) years, and for this reason particular care must be exercised in placing reliance on an inactive Guideline.

AASLD commissions and provides financial support for the formulation and production of Practice Guidelines / Guidances by volunteer experts. Financial support from commercial entities or the pharmaceutical industry is not accepted for the development of AASLD practice guidelines or guidances.

Citing Practice Guidelines / Guidances

AASLD Practice Guidelines and Guidances are copyright protected. One copy may be accessed for personal research, scientific, scholarly or informational purposes and may be transmitted to a third-party colleague in hard copy or electronically for similar use. One figure, table or brief excerpt less than 400 words may be used in one’s scientific, scholarly and educational work with appropriate credit.

Permission is required to reproduce more than one figure, table, or section over 400 words or complete practice guidelines and guidances for systematic redistribution. Re-sale and posting AASLD practice guidelines and guidances on other websites are not allowed; however, linking to these documents is permitted. Contact adavisowino@aasld.org for assistance.