This paper describes a study of the knowledge and attitudes of a sample of private medical practitioners in Malaysia in relation to questions posed on guidelines-based medicine. The study was conducted through a postal questionnaire sent to a sample of 2,000 private practitioners. Placing the research in context, a description of Malaysia and its health-care system is provided. Issues surrounding guidelines-based medicine in the Malaysian context are discussed. An analysis of the sample population's personal and professional characteristics is presented. Key research findings include identifying a substantial knowledge deficit--less than half of the respondents claimed to understand "guidelines". A majority of doctors (64 per cent) think guidelines are useful. Only 29 per cent of respondents knew where to find guidelines, with 22 per cent claiming to have used guidelines. The paper concludes with a discussion of issues in the implementation of guidelines-based medicine in Malaysia based on the study's findings.