[1] It provides a structured and transparent evaluation of the importance of outcomes of alternative management strategies, acknowledgment of patients and the public values and preferences, and comprehensive criteria for downgrading and upgrading certainty in evidence.
It has important implications for those summarizing evidence for systematic reviews, health technology assessments, and clinical practice guidelines as well as other decision makers.
[2] The GRADE began in the year 2000 as a collaboration of methodologists, guideline developers, biostatisticians, clinicians, public health scientists and other interested members.
[8] The GRADE approach to assess the certainty in evidence is widely applicable, including to questions about diagnosis,[9][10] prognosis,[11][12] network meta-analysis[13] and public health.
[citation needed] When used to summarize evidence from nutritional science, dietary, lifestyle, and environmental exposure, the use of the GRADE approach has been criticized.