Best evidence synthesis algorithm/algorithm for messages18 27
| Level of evidence | Minimum quality | Minimum quantity | Consistency | Strength of message |
| Strong | High* (H) | 3 | 3H agree; if 3+ studies, ≥3/4 of the M and H agree | Recommendations |
| Moderate | Medium† (M) | 2H or 2M and 1H | 2H agree or 2M and 1H agree; if 3+ studies, ≥2/3 of the M and H agree | Practice considerations |
| Limited | 1H or 2M or 1M and 1H | 2 (M and/or H) agree; if 2 studies, >1/2 of the M and H agree | Not enough evidence to make recommendations or practice considerations | |
| Mixed | 2 | Findings are contradictory | ||
| Insufficient | Medium quality studies that do not meet above criteria | |||
*High (H) quality study ≥85% in quality appraisal
†Medium (M) quality study=50%–84% in quality appraisal.