Table 2. Open in new tab Interpretation...

Table 2.

Interpretation of Strong and Weak (Conditional) Recommendations

	Strong Recommendation	Weak (Conditional) Recommendation
Patients	All or almost all individuals in this situation would want the recommended course of action, and only a small proportion would not.	Most individuals in this situation would probably want the suggested course of action, but many would not.
Clinicians	All or almost all individuals should receive the intervention.	Recognize that fully informed individuals might reasonably choose different courses of action. A shared decision-making process is typically useful in helping individuals to make decisions consistent with their values and preferences.
Policy makers	The recommendation can be adopted as policy in most situations. Adherence to this recommendation according to the guideline can be used as a quality criterion or performance indicator.	Policymaking will require substantial debate and involvement of various stakeholders.

	Strong Recommendation	Weak (Conditional) Recommendation
Patients	All or almost all individuals in this situation would want the recommended course of action, and only a small proportion would not.	Most individuals in this situation would probably want the suggested course of action, but many would not.
Clinicians	All or almost all individuals should receive the intervention.	Recognize that fully informed individuals might reasonably choose different courses of action. A shared decision-making process is typically useful in helping individuals to make decisions consistent with their values and preferences.
Policy makers	The recommendation can be adopted as policy in most situations. Adherence to this recommendation according to the guideline can be used as a quality criterion or performance indicator.	Policymaking will require substantial debate and involvement of various stakeholders.