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Guidelines: Rating the Quality of Evidence and Grading the Strength of Recommendations

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Neurology

Abstract

Clinical experts and organizations providing recommendations in the form of clinical practice guidelines have to carefully consider the quality of the available evidence. Grading the strength of recommendations, if performed on the basis of a rigorous methodology, can improve communication of best practices and reduce errors. The GRADE system provides criteria for decisions regarding both quality of evidence and the balance of desirable and undesirable consequences of alternative management strategies. Such a universal, methodologically sound, and widely accepted methodology to support guideline development could help to lay the framework for international collaboration and to effectively use limited resources.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Case and VA Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland, 44106, OH, USA

    Yngve Falck-Ytter MD

  2. Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Gordon H. Guyatt MD, MSc, FRCPC

  3. Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Gordon H. Guyatt MD, MSc, FRCPC

Authors
  1. Yngve Falck-Ytter MD
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  2. Gordon H. Guyatt MD, MSc, FRCPC
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yngve Falck-Ytter MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. London Health Sciences Centre, Dept. Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Ontario, Windermere Road 339, London, N6A 5A5, Ontario, Canada

    Jorge G. Burneo

  2. , Neurology, Mayo Clinic Hospital, E. Mayo Blvd. 5777, Phoenix, 85054, Arizona, USA

    Bart M. Demaerschalk

  3. London Health Sciences Centre, Dept. Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Ontario, Windermere Road 339, London, N6A 5A5, Ontario, Canada

    Mary E. Jenkins

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Falck-Ytter, Y., Guyatt, G.H. (2012). Guidelines: Rating the Quality of Evidence and Grading the Strength of Recommendations. In: Burneo, J., Demaerschalk, B., Jenkins, M. (eds) Neurology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-88555-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-88555-1_3

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  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-88554-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-88555-1

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