Clinical guidelines and clinical autonomy: exploring the missing link

Purpose This paper aims at understanding how clinical guidelines' use in the labour process relates to clinical autonomy, that is, the self-control medical professionals exercise over medical practice. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a qualitative case study research strategy, this paper explores how medical professionals use clinical guidelines in the labour process in one public general hospital of the Greek National Health System. Supplemented by an extensive study of documents, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 doctors of several specialties. Findings The analysis shows (1) how clinical autonomy, as a self-control structure, mediates the use of clinical guidelines as a knowledge tool in the labour process, and (2) how employing clinical guidelines as a means towards coordinating medical work, but also towards regulating and standardising medical practice, is exercising pressure on the individualistic character of clinical autonomy. Originality/value Advancing the analytic value of workplace control structures, this paper contributes novel theoretical understanding of emerging tendencies characterising medical work organisation and clinical autonomy, and explains how medical professionals' non-adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) relates to CPGs' role as a resource to medical practice. Finally, this research proposes a more critical approach to health policy towards addressing the challenges associated with centrally introducing clinical guidelines in healthcare organisations.