Thresholds are used in GRADE to make the interpretation of findings transparent and reproducible. Decision thresholds guide judgments about both the size of the effect on an outcome (e.g., trivial, small, moderate, or large) and the associated certainty of evidence.
Session 3 of the GRADE Learning Live series introduced the concept of decision thresholds and how they are used in GRADE.
Topics included:-
- What are decision thresholds and why are they useful?
- Pre-specifying thresholds for dichotomous and continuous outcomes in systematic reviews
- Worked examples
The webinar was suitable for those wanting to use GRADE to interpret and summarise findings in a systematic review. An understanding of systematic review methods and content covered in the introductory session was assumed.
The session was delivered in May 2026 and below you will find the recording with the accompanying slides to download [PDF].
Presenter Bio
Wojtek Wiercioch is based at the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. As a research methodologist, he specializes in evidence synthesis, guideline development methodology, and the guideline development process. His main research activities include the development of clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews in collaboration with various medical professional societies, healthcare organizations and ministries of health, as well as the development and evaluation of guideline methods. He is a member of the GRADE working group, the Guidelines International Network, and the INGUIDE Program, in which he participates in teaching systematic review and guideline methods.
