Background The use of the recommendation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) by health professionals, depends on the diffusion process and local strategies of implementation of a particular guide in a specific service of the institution.

Objectives Assess the adherence to the recommendations of CPGs by health professionals internationally.

Methods A systematic review of the literature in PubMed was conducted (MeSH term ‘Guideline Adherence’, filters: published in the last 5 years, meta-analysis).

Results Out of 33 documents that were obtained, seven were selected, one systematic review and one document in google academic (Mexico). The percentage of adherence differs markedly depending on the directory in question and on the professionals involved from 61.1 to 72.2%. The median adherence was 45%. The professionals with the greatest adherence were dentists, whereas cardiologists and surgeons did not change their behaviour due to the recommendations of a CPG.

Discussion The degree of adherence to the recommendations of the CPG is influenced by different factors, related to the efforts of professional associations, the management of health care organisations, the professionals themselves involved in the care of the patient and the patient himself.

Implications for Guideline Developers/Users The key elements for adherence to the recommendations of the CPG are: involvement of the professionals with the strategy, occupational type, and suggested recommendations.