Implications of strong and conditional recommendations using the GRADE approach21.
| Implications | Strong Recommendation | Conditional Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| For patients | Most individuals in this situation would want the recommended course of action, and only a small proportion would not. Formal decision aids are not likely to be needed to help individuals make decisions consistent with their values and preferences. | The majority of individuals in this situation would want the suggested course of action, but many would not. |
| For clinicians | Most individuals should receive the recommended course of action. Adherence to this recommendation according to the guidelines could be used as a quality criterion or performance indicator. | Clinicians should recognize that different choices will be appropriate for each individual and that clinicians must help each individual arrive at a management decision consistent with the individual’s values and preferences. Decision aids may be useful to help individuals make decisions consistent with their values and preferences. |
| For policy makers | The recommendation can be adopted as policy in most situations. | Policy making will require substantial debate and the involvement of many people. |
GRADE: Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation working group.