AASLD practice guidelines: The past, the present, and the future.

Akin to the practice of medicine itself, judgments about evidence and recommendations are often complex and controversial. Since 1995, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) has commissioned numerous practice guidelines under the auspices of the Practice Guidelines Committee. These guidelines have provided a distillation of available knowledge regarding the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of liver-related medical conditions and procedures. Ideally, at defined intervals, these guidelines have been updated and refined in keeping with advances and new data in the medical literature. By endeavoring to be current, evidence-based, and independent, the guidelines have achieved wide credibility, relevance, and practical use in the care of patients with liver disease.