| Appendix 1: Grades of quality of evidence and classification of recommendations* | |
| Quality of evidence | Classification of recommendations |
| I: Evidence obtained from at least one properly randomized controlled trial.
II-1: Evidence obtained from well-designed controlled trials without randomization. II-2: Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies, preferably from more than one centre or research group. II-3: Evidence obtained from comparisons between times or places with or without the intervention. Dramatic results in uncontrolled experiments (such as the results of treatment with penicillin in the 1940s) could also be included in this category. III: Opinions of respected authorities, based on clinical experience, descriptive studies or reports of expert committees. |
A: There is good evidence to support the recommendation that the condition be specifically considered in a
periodic health examination.
B: There is fair evidence to support the recommendation that the condition be specifically considered in a periodic health examination. C: There is poor evidence regarding the inclusion of the condition in a periodic health examination, but recommendations may be made on other grounds. D: There is fair evidence to support the recommendation that the condition be excluded from consideration in a periodic health examination. E: There is good evidence to support the recommendation that the condition be excluded from consideration in a periodic health examination. |
| *For further details, see the Apr. 1, 1986, issue of CMAJ (pages 722 to 723). | |