Table A3:
GRADE Evidence Profile for Timing of Patient Care Planning Discussions
| Number of Studies (Design) | Risk of Bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication Bias | Upgrade Considerations | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient's Quality of Life | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)a | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | Dose-response gradient (+1) | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Receiving Chemotherapy at End of Life | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)b | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | Large magnitude of effect (+1) | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Receiving Hospital Care | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)b | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | Large magnitude of effect (+1) Dose-response gradient (+1) | ⊕⊕⊕ Moderate |
| Intensive Care Unit Care | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)b | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | Large magnitude of effect (+1) | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Receiving Hospice Care | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)b | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | Large magnitude of effect (+1) Dose-response gradient (+1) | ⊕⊕⊕ Moderate |
Abbreviations: GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; RCT, randomized controlled trial.
a
Information about what variables were adjusted for in the multivariable model was missing.
b
Observational study suffered from limitations in how the exposure was measured and in confounding.