It is widely recognized that patients' perspectives should play a role in management of care decisions. The GRADE framework is a widely used method for developing clinical recommendations and clinical practice guidelines.

GRADE derived recommendations are categorized as “strong” or “weak” based on several considerations, including the “values and preferences” of the “typical” patient. The strength of the recommendation provides instruction on when and how the patient should participate in the clinical encounter.

The presentation examines the role of the patient perspective in the GRADE framework and what that might mean for patient participation in the clinical encounter.