Table 3.

Interpretation of a Strong and Conditional Recommendation

Implications	Strong recommendation	Conditional recommendation
For patients	Most individuals in this situation would want the recommended course of action and only a small proportion would not.	The majority of individuals in this situation would want the suggested course of action, but many would not.
For clinicians	Most individuals should receive the intervention. Formal decision aids are not likely to be needed to help individuals make decisions consistent with their values and preferences.	Different choices will be appropriate for individual patients consistent with his or her values and preferences. Use shared decision making. Decision aids may be useful in helping patients make decisions consistent with their individual risks, values, and preferences.
For policy makers	The recommendation can be adapted as policy or performance measure in most situations.	Policy making will require substantial debate and involvement of various stakeholders. Performance measures should assess whether decision making is appropriate.