. 2015 Sep;50(9):986–1000. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-50.9.07

Table 1. .

Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT)^a

Strength of Recommendation	Definition
A	Recommendation based on consistent and good quality experimental evidence (morbidity, mortality, exercise and cognitive performance, physiologic responses).
B	Recommendation based on inconsistent or limited quality experimental evidence.
C	Recommendation based on consensus; usual practice; opinion; disease-oriented evidence^b; case series or studies of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or screening; or extrapolations from quasi-experimental research.

^{^a}

Reprinted with permission from Ebell MH, Siwek J, Weiss BD, et al, Strength of recommendation taxonomy (SORT): a patient-centered approach to grading evidence in the medical literature, 2004;69(3):548–556, Am Fam Physician. Copyright 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians. All Rights Reserved.¹⁴

^{^b}

Patient-oriented evidence measures outcomes that matter to patients: morbidity, mortality, symptoms improvement, cost reduction, and quality of life. Disease-oriented evidence measures intermediate, physiologic, or surrogate end points that may or may not reflect improvements in patient outcomes (eg, blood pressure, blood chemistry, physiologic function, pathologic finding).