Table 2.

Rating constructs, definitions, and rating scales used in all three rounds of expert panel ratings

Rating construct	Definition and rating scales
Necessity of review	For an average patient treated with antidepressants in primary care: Assuming no overprescribing/high-risk prescribing, how necessarya is it to conduct a critical review* of antidepressant use within the next 3 months in order to prevent adverse effects/reduce medication burden? 1–3 = not necessary; 4–6 = might be necessary; 7–9 = clearly necessary
Likelihood of harm	How likely is it that the patient will experience an adverse drug reaction if the clinical situation was to be continued for another year? 1–3 = unlikely; 4–6 = possible; 7–9 = probable
Severity of harm	If the patient experienced an adverse drug event as a result of antidepressant use, how severe would it be? 1–3 = minor; 4–6 = moderate; 7–9 = major

^aSee the “Methods” section for further detail regarding the definitions of a critical review and the rating construct of necessary