Table 1 Strength of guideline recommendations, consensus-based statements, and implication to quality of evidence
From: Evaluation of symptomatic slow-acting drugs in osteoarthritis using the GRADE system
Recommendation or statement | Description in GRADE approach | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
Strong guideline recommendation | We recommend (should) | 1. Most individuals should receive the intervention, assuming that they have been informed about and have understood its benefits, harms and burden. |
2. Most individuals would want the recommended course of action and only a small proportion would not. | ||
3. The recommendation could unequivocally be used for policy making. | ||
Weak guideline recommendation | We suggest (might) | 1. The majority of individuals would want to suggested course of action, but an appreciable proportion would not. |
2. Values and preferences vary widely. | ||
3. Policy making will require extensive debates and involvement of many stakeholders. |