. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jul 25.

Published in final edited form as: Endocr Pract. 2015 Apr;21(Suppl 1):1–87. doi: 10.4158/EP15672.GL

Table 4. 2010 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Protocol for Production of Clinical Practice Guidelines—Step IV: Examples of Qualifiers^a.

Cost-effectiveness

Risk-benefit analysis

Evidence gaps

Alternative physician preferences (dissenting opinions)

Alternative recommendations (“cascades”)

Resource availability

Cultural factors

Relevance (patient-oriented evidence that matters)

Reprinted from (1): Endocr Pract. 2010;16:270-283.

Table 4. 2010 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Protocol for Production of Clinical Practice Guidelines—Step IV: Examples of Qualifiersa.