TABLE 2.

Grades of Recommendations for Investigations

Grades of recommendation	Description
A	Good evidence (level 1 studies with consistent findings) for or against recommending investigations
B	Fair evidence (level 2 or 3 studies with consistent findings) for or against recommending investigations
C	Conflicting or poor-quality evidence (level 4 or 5 studies) not allowing a recommendation for or against investigations
I	Insufficient evidence to make a recommendation
Proposed subscale
Cf	Representing literature “for,” or in support of, an investigation
Ca	Representing literature “against,” or not in support of, an investigation
Cc	Representing conflicting literature, some of which is in support of an investigation and some of which is not in support of an investigation