Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Analysis Rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations

What is “quality of evidence” and why is it important to clinicians?

BMJ 2008; 336 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39490.551019.BE (Published 01 May 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;336:995

Rapid Response:

GRADES of Evidence need local relevance

The issue of grading evidence is a tremendously important contribution to public health. However, the hierarchy of availability of drugs within the grades of evidence needs to be considered. When GRADE strongly recommends a treatment for a condition, the drug needs to be available within most contexts. For example, it is useful to know the ultimate first-line antiretroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS, but has little role in actual practice in Africa. Could GRADE consider optimal first-line and second-line treatments, etc. in their recommendations?

Competing interests: None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

08 May 2008
Marko Tostad
Epidemiologist
Mt Sinai (NY)