What is quality of evidence?

Understanding the scientific backing of your health reports is crucial for making informed decisions. Genaty's Quality of Evidence score is designed to help you discern the level of scientific evidence supporting each report, ensuring you have reliable information at your fingertips.

What is the Quality of Evidence Score?

The Quality of Evidence score is a rating system that quantifies the scientific support for each health report on a scale from 0 to 5:

• 0 represents no evidence, suggesting that the data is preliminary or questionable.
• 1 indicates a very low level of scientific evidence.
• 2 shows low-quality evidence.
• 3 reflects moderate-quality evidence.
• 4 denotes high-quality evidence that has not yet been validated by additional data.
• 5 signifies high-quality evidence that has been validated by additional data, offering a high likelihood of reflecting true genetic predispositions.

How is the Quality of Evidence Determined?

The score is calculated based on several critical factors:

• Study Quality: Factors such as the sample size, number of cases, and the handling of confounding factors are assessed.
• Ethnicity Considerations: The relevance of study results across different ethnic groups is considered.
• Genetic Variants and Statistical Analysis: The number of genetic variants evaluated and the statistical models used in the study contribute to the evidence score.
• Reproducibility and Validation: Higher scores are awarded to findings that have been replicated or validated by subsequent research.

Using the Quality of Evidence Score:

• Filter Reports: You can use the Quality of Evidence score as a filter on the Health Reports page to select reports that meet a certain threshold of scientific backing.
• Report Evaluation: Each health report displays its Quality of Evidence score, allowing you to quickly gauge the reliability of the information presented.

Best Practices:

• Consider the Score in Context: While the Quality of Evidence score is a valuable tool, it should be considered alongside other factors such as personal health history and current medical conditions.
• Consult Healthcare Professionals: Always consider discussing your health reports with a healthcare professional, especially for scores that indicate moderate to high-quality evidence, to understand their implications fully.