TABLE IE.
Implications of strong and conditional recommendations*
| Implications | Strong recommendation | Conditional recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| For individuals with asthma | Most individuals in this situation would want the recommended course of action and only a small proportion would not. | Most individuals in this situation would want the suggested course of action, but many would not. |
| For clinicians | Most individuals should receive the intervention. Formal decision aids are not likely to be needed to help individuals make decisions consistent with their values and preferences. | Different choices will be appropriate for individuals consistent with their values and preferences. Use shared decision making. Decision aids may be useful in helping individuals make decisions consistent with their risks, values, and preferences. |
| For policymakers | The recommendation can be adapted as policy or performance measure in most situations. Adherence to this recommendation according to the guideline could be used as a quality criterion or performance indicator. | Policy making will require substantial debate and involvement of various stakeholders. Performance measures should assess whether decision making is documented. |
| For researchers | The recommendation is supported by credible research or other convincing judgments that make additional research unlikely to alter the recommendation. On occasion, a strong recommendation is based on low or very low certainty in the evidence. In such instances, further research may provide important information that alters the recommendations. | The recommendation is likely to be strengthened (for future updates or adaptation) by additional research. An evaluation of the conditions and criteria (and the related judgments, research evidence, and additional considerations) that determined the conditional (rather than strong) recommendation will help identify possible research gaps. |
*
Strong recommendations are indicated by statements that lead with “We recommend,” whereas conditional recommendations are indicated by statements that lead with “We conditionally recommend.”