Fig. 3.

Numbers of published guidelines which increased per week separately for each S-level[9] Guidelines were classified according to the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF) Guidance Manual and Rules for Guideline Development[9]. S3 is a systematic literature review including a subsequent synthesis of the evidence and a structured consensus process completed by a representative committee. S2e refers to a systematic literature review and synthesis of the evidence only; S2k guidelines are based on a structured consensus process completed by a representative committee only. S2e and S2k are summarized in this graph as S2. S1 in this work includes both, documents based on an informal consensus process by a group of experts as well as expert opinions.