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NHMRC additional levels of evidence and grades for recommendations for developers of guidelines - Stage 2 Pilot

This document outlines the expanded levels of evidence for use in guideline development, and provides additional information in the form of table notes, a study design glossary and a summary of how the levels of evidence and other NHMRC dimensions of evidence should be used.  In addition, to further assist guideline developers in making judgments on the basis of the body of evidence relevant to a research question, a grading system for recommendations has been developed.

It should be noted that NHMRC additional levels of evidence and grades for recommendations for developers of guidelines is an interim levels of evidence and recommendation grading system.  The document was released as a pilot document for a period of consultation between February 2008 and February 2009, following a previous round of consultation.

The consultation period has now closed.

The NHMRC advises that guideline developers should continue to use the stage 2 pilot document, as it represents the most current NHMRC advice.  Guideline developers who use the consultation draft levels and grades framework should include a statement at the front of the guidelines explaining that the guidelines blend the official NHMRC levels with the draft levels of evidence and grading system for recommendations.

A review of the NHMRC Guideline program is currently taking place, which includes reviewing A guide to the development, implementation and evaluation of clinical practice guidelines, 1999 (‘Guidelines for Guidelines’) and its companion documents which support guideline developers.  It is proposed to incorporate the final amended Levels and Grades of Evidence paper into the Guidelines program, as part of the ‘Guidelines for Guidelines’ suite of publications.

» Download: 2nd Stage consultation Levels and Grades of Evidence paper (PDF, 205kb)

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