Article type
Year
Abstract
Background:For interventions that seek to identify effectiveness, which requires an assessment of the degree of certainty that estimates of outcomes reported in a group of studies are high enough to support decisions or recommendations.
Objectives:To characterize the distribution of recommendations strength and confidence in estimates of effect in WHO guidelines that have used the GRADE approach and graded strength of recommendations and confidence in effect estimates.
Methods:We reviewed the guidelines listed in the WHO guidelines database as of October 2019. We identified those that use GRADE and, in these guidelines, examined the distributions of strong and weak and associated confidence in estimates of effect (high, moderate, low, and very low).
Results:We identified 218 WHO public health guidelines; 164 (75.2%) related to GRADE methods, remaining data extraction is in progress.
Conclusions:The current data extraction indicates that strong recommendations based on low or very low confidence in effect estimates are very frequently made in WHO guidelines. Further study to determine the reasons for such recommendations is warranted.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement:None
Objectives:To characterize the distribution of recommendations strength and confidence in estimates of effect in WHO guidelines that have used the GRADE approach and graded strength of recommendations and confidence in effect estimates.
Methods:We reviewed the guidelines listed in the WHO guidelines database as of October 2019. We identified those that use GRADE and, in these guidelines, examined the distributions of strong and weak and associated confidence in estimates of effect (high, moderate, low, and very low).
Results:We identified 218 WHO public health guidelines; 164 (75.2%) related to GRADE methods, remaining data extraction is in progress.
Conclusions:The current data extraction indicates that strong recommendations based on low or very low confidence in effect estimates are very frequently made in WHO guidelines. Further study to determine the reasons for such recommendations is warranted.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement:None