Table 2.

Factors Determining Strong vs. Weak Recommendation

What should be considered	Recommended Process
Quality of evidence	The lower the quality of evidence the less likely a strong recommendation
Relative importance of the outcomes	If values and preferences vary widely, a strong recommendation becomes less likely
Baseline risks of outcomes	The higher the risk, the greater the magnitude of benefit
Magnitude of relative risk including benefits, harms, and burden	Larger relative risk reductions or larger increases in relative risk of harm make a strong recommendation more or less likely respectively
Absolute magnitude of the effect	The larger the absolute benefits and harms, the greater or lesser likelihood respectively of a strong recommendation
Precision of the estimates of the effects	The greater the precision the more likely is a strong recommendation
Costs	The higher the cost of treatment, the less likely a strong recommendation