Clinical Practice Guidelines Update

Posted on May 19th, 2026 in Bulletin Board by CHPW Admin

Community Health Plan of Washington uses guidelines for chronic diseases (including medical and behavioral health conditions) and for preventative services. Reference is made to the pertinent, evidence-based, peer-reviewed guidelines from nationally recognized agencies.

The guidelines are intended to help guide providers in their care of our members including Medicare, Apple Health, Cascade Select, and Behavioral Health Services Only members. The guidelines also ensure that the Clinical Coverage Criteria used for utilization management decisions are aligned with the current evidence-based guidelines.

The following previously approved guidelines have been reviewed and re-approved by the Clinical Quality Improvement Committee (CQIC) on August 4, 2026. Four guidelines were retired, (listed below) and no new guidelines were adopted.

New:

N/A

Reviewed with no changes:

Topic	Guideline Link
Bipolar Disorder	VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Bipolar Disorder in Adults
Borderline Personality Disorder	Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder
Childhood Anxiety	Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders
Childhood Depression	Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Major and Persistent Depressive Disorders
Depression – Adult Screening	Screening for Depression in Adults
Depression – Pregnancy and Postpartum	Primary Care Screening for and Treatment of Depression in Pregnant and Postpartum Women (2016)
Depression Following Coronary Events	Depression Following Acute Coronary Syndrome Events: Screening and Treatment Guidelines from the AAFP
Eating Disorders	The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Eating Disorders, Fourth Edition
Opioid Prescribing: Long-Term Opioid Therapy Report and Recommendations	Long Term Opioid Use Recommendations
Opioid Use Disorder	Bree: Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Report and Recommendations
Opioid Use Disorder	Bree: Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Report and Recommendations
Schizophrenia	Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia

Reviewed with updates:

Topic	Guideline Link
Adult Sinusitis	Clinical Practice Guideline: Adult Sinusitis Update
Allergic Rhinitis	Allergic Rhinitis: Rapid Evidence Review
Asthma	Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention
Gout	Gout: Diagnosis and Management
Hypertension	2025 AHA/ACC/AANP/AAPA/ABC/ACCP/ACPM/AGS/AMA/ASPC/NMA/PCNA/SGIM Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines
Immunizations Adults	AAFP Adults 19 and Older Immunization Schedule
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean	Planning for Labor and Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

Retired:

Topic	Guideline Link
Alzheimer’s Disease	Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder	American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Updates 2013
Otitis Externa	Acute Otitis Externa
Substance Use Disorder	Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Substance Use Disorders, Second Edition (2006)

 

The complete list of Clinical Practice Guidelines is located here.

(Guidelines last updated: August 4, 2026, Posted to website: August 6, 2026)