The following ranking system has been developed to monitor the status of clinical practice guidelines. Adapted from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Guideline Ranking System.
| RANK | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| 1 | This guideline is new and represents the best available evidence at this time. It will be reviewed on an annual basis to determine if it remains current. |
| 2 | This guideline is reviewed on an annual basis and there have been new studies published since the guideline was developed. However, the CTS Guideline Committee determined that these studies are not sufficient to warrant changing the guideline at this time. The information contained in this guideline provides the user with the best evidence available at the time the guideline was published. Readers are encouraged to search the current literature as a supplement to using this guideline. |
| 3 | This guideline is reviewed on an annual basis. The CTS Guideline Committee determined that new studies have been published that warrant an update of the chapter/section of this practice guideline. The HSP Committee also determined that the remainder of the chapters/sections does not require updating and these recommendations remain current. |
| 4 | This guideline is reviewed on an annual basis. The CTS Guideline Committee determined that new data are available that are sufficient to potentially change guideline recommendations and a full revision is warranted. |
| 5 | This guideline has been reviewed on an annual basis. The CTS Guideline Committee has decided it is outdated; however, it has been retained for historical and/or educational purposes. These guidelines should be used with caution for clinical decision-making purposes. |