GRADE pearls and pitfalls-Part 2: Clinical practice guidelines

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Clinical Practice Guidelines
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach is the established standard for summarizing evidence.
• It is widely used in systematic reviews and the development of clinical practice guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the GRADE approach for clinical practice guidelines.
• To assist clinicians and researchers involved in guideline development or assessment.

Main Methods:

• The overview describes the application of the GRADE approach in clinical practice guidelines.
• Key aspects covered include guideline development, evidence assessment, and recommendation formulation.

Main Results:

• The GRADE approach encompasses guideline endorsement, panel management, conflict of interest management, and question formulation.
• It also covers systematic review processes, evidence certainty rating, recommendation development, and guideline implementation.

Conclusions:

• This overview facilitates the development of trustworthy, high-quality clinical practice guidelines.
• Understanding the GRADE approach is crucial for guideline developers, assessors, and users.