Level of evidence
Short definition
The level of evidence is a rating of how much confidence can be placed in a scientific finding, according to the type and quality of the studies behind it.
In plain language
In classic hierarchies, systematic reviews of randomised trials sit at the top, followed by randomised trials, observational studies and, finally, case series and expert opinion. More recent systems, such as GRADE, also assess risk of bias, consistency and precision. Knowing the level of evidence helps distinguish a well-studied intervention from one that only has pilot studies.
In practice, in an RVer session
RVer AI ranks the library by the chosen care area and shows, for each suggestion, the published evidence and its grade. It does not diagnose or prescribe: the decision rests with the team.