This Quality Improvement Guidelines manual is intended to serve as a resource for Humana health care providers. Quality improvement guidelines represent a series of recommendations for diagnosing, managing, or treating a clinical condition or accomplishing a clinical service. They have been developed through a process of peer review, including extensive review of medical literature and existing specialty society guidelines.

They can be valuable tools in identifying clinical areas for quality improvement. Guidelines are not a substitute for a provider's clinical judgment and are not always applicable to an individual. Following a guideline will not guarantee a specific outcome for every patient, although following the guideline should result in the best available outcome for a majority of patients.

Benefit coverage of particular services may vary by product. A particular service mentioned in a guideline may not be a covered benefit. Providers and members must refer only to their certificate of coverage for specific benefit information.

Humana's vision is to improve the health of our members, and provide value to our customers, partners and shareholders.

Humana Clinical Protocols Committee
Humana, 10th Floor
500 West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202