EAST Approach to GRADE (Methodology)

Faculty

Needs Statement

Medical decision making requires the knowledge of a vast amount of information.  A busy physician may not be able to critically evaluate all the evidence regarding a specific clinical question.  Because of this, the practice of developing clinical practice management guidelines (PMGs) developed.  To combat the wide variation in guideline production, the GRADE system was developed (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation), with the intent of developing a standardized method to rate a body of evidence and make recommendations about specific clinical questions.  In addition to the guideline development, GRADE can be used for policy development, formulary decisions, purchasing decisions, and quality assessment of organizations

Target Audience

Physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, health executives and other health professionals

Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to:

1. Rate quality of evidence using examples of types of studies;

2. Articulate the steps in developing a guideline;

3. List factors that decrease the quality of data used to develop a guideline;

4. Assess the role of risk and benefit with regards to guideline development.

Accreditation

CME
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine presents this activity for educational purposes only. Participants are expected to utilize their own expertise and judgment while engaged in the practice of medicine. The content of the presentations is provided solely by presenters who have been selected for presentations because of recognized expertise in their field.

ACGME Competencies

• Patient care

Faculty Disclosure

No speaker, planners or content reviewers have any relevant financial relationships to disclose.  No speaker will discuss the off-label use of a product.

Content review confirmed that the content was developed in a fair, balanced manner free from commercial bias.  Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone commercial bias in any presentation, but it is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation.

Acknowledgement

This activity is jointly provided by the University of Kentucky and Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.