title: [GRADE guidelines: 14. Going from evidence to recommendations: the significance and presentation of recommendations].
abstract: This article describes the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to classifying the direction and strength of recommendations. The strength of a recommendation, separated into strong and weak, is defined as the extent to which one can be confident that the desirable effects of an intervention outweigh its undesirable effects. Alternative terms for a weak recommendation include conditional, discretionary, or qualified. The strength of a recommendation has specific implications for patients, the public, clinicians, and policy makers. Occasionally, guideline developers may choose to make "only-in-research" recommendations. Although panels may choose not to make recommendations, this choice leaves those looking for answers from guidelines without the guidance they are seeking. GRADE therefore encourages panels to, wherever possible, offer recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Donau-Universität Krems, Department für Evidenzbasierte Medizin und Klinische Epidemiologie, Krems, Österreich. Electronic address: angela.kaminski@donau-uni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaminski-Hartenthaler
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Cochrane Zentrum, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Joerg J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Meerpohl
authors.affiliation: Donau-Universität Krems, Department für Evidenzbasierte Medizin und Klinische Epidemiologie, Krems, Österreich.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gartlehner
authors.affiliation: Donau-Universität Krems, Department für Evidenzbasierte Medizin und Klinische Epidemiologie, Krems, Österreich.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kien
authors.affiliation: Institut für Gesundheits- und Pflegewissenschaft, Medizinische Fakultät der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Deutschland.
authors.forename: Gero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.affiliation: Donau-Universität Krems, Department für Evidenzbasierte Medizin und Klinische Epidemiologie, Krems, Österreich.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wipplinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton, Kanada.
authors.forename: Holger J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schünemann
mesh_terms: D032921:Consensus; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Einstufung von Evidenz; Empfehlungen; GRADE; Leitlinienentwicklung; Qualität der Evidenz; Stärke der Evidenz; grading; guideline development; quality of evidence; recommendations; strength of evidence