TY - JOUR
T1 - GRADE Guidance 34
T2 - update on rating imprecision using a minimally contextualized approach
AU - Zeng, Linan
AU - Brignardello-Petersen, Romina
AU - Hultcrantz, Monica
AU - Mustafa, Reem A.
AU - Murad, Mohammad H.
AU - Iorio, Alfonso
AU - Traversy, Gregory
AU - Akl, Elie A.
AU - Mayer, Martin
AU - Schünemann, Holger J.
AU - Guyatt, Gordon H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Objectives: The aim of this study is to provide updated guidance on when The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) users should consider rating down more than one level for imprecision using a minimally contextualized approach. Study Design and Setting: Based on the first GRADE guidance addressing imprecision rating in 2011, a project group within the GRADE Working Group conducted iterative discussions and presentations at GRADE Working Group meetings to produce this guidance. Results: GRADE suggests aligning imprecision criterion for systematic reviews and guidelines using the approach that relies on thresholds and confidence intervals (CI) of absolute effects as a primary criterion for imprecision rating (i.e., CI approach). Based on the CI approach, when a CI appreciably crosses the threshold(s) of interest, one should consider rating down two or three levels. When the CI does not cross the threshold(s) and the relative effect is large, one should implement the optimal information size (OIS) approach. If the sample size of the meta-analysis is far less than the OIS, one should consider rating down more than one level for imprecision. Conclusion: GRADE provides updated guidance for imprecision rating in a minimally contextualized approach, with a focus on the circumstances in which one should seriously consider rating down two or three levels for imprecision.
AB - Objectives: The aim of this study is to provide updated guidance on when The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) users should consider rating down more than one level for imprecision using a minimally contextualized approach. Study Design and Setting: Based on the first GRADE guidance addressing imprecision rating in 2011, a project group within the GRADE Working Group conducted iterative discussions and presentations at GRADE Working Group meetings to produce this guidance. Results: GRADE suggests aligning imprecision criterion for systematic reviews and guidelines using the approach that relies on thresholds and confidence intervals (CI) of absolute effects as a primary criterion for imprecision rating (i.e., CI approach). Based on the CI approach, when a CI appreciably crosses the threshold(s) of interest, one should consider rating down two or three levels. When the CI does not cross the threshold(s) and the relative effect is large, one should implement the optimal information size (OIS) approach. If the sample size of the meta-analysis is far less than the OIS, one should consider rating down more than one level for imprecision. Conclusion: GRADE provides updated guidance for imprecision rating in a minimally contextualized approach, with a focus on the circumstances in which one should seriously consider rating down two or three levels for imprecision.
KW - GRADE
KW - Guideline
KW - Imprecision
KW - Minimally contextualized approach
KW - Systematic review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85136589998&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85136589998&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.07.014
DO - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.07.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 35934265
AN - SCOPUS:85136589998
SN - 0895-4356
VL - 150
SP - 216
EP - 224
JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
ER -