Methods and Processes

The Task Force is committed to using a clear, consistent, and transparent recommendation development process so that health care professionals, partners, and the American public can understand and trust its work. The Task Force documents its methods in a procedure manual and other resources to ensure that the recommendations and evidence reviews are consistently of high quality, methodologically sound, scientifically defensible, reproducible, and unbiased. This page includes links to resources and published articles about Task Force methods.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Procedure Manual

Learn about the methods used by the Task Force to ensure that the recommendations and evidence reviews are scientifically sound, reproducible, and well documented.

Read the Procedure Manual

Standards for Guideline Development

Learn how the Task Force’s processes align with the National Academy of Medicine's recommendations for trustworthy, evidence-based guideline development.

Learn more

Key Methods and Processes Information

Grade Definitions
What the grades mean and suggestions for practice.
Identifying Evidence Gaps
How the Task Force identifies and reports on evidence gaps.
Conflict of Interest Disclosures
Learn about our policy and read members’ current disclosures.
Recommendation Process Graphic
View a graphic about our process for developing recommendations.
Making a Task Force Recommendation
Overview of the methods and processes used by the Task Force.

General Methods Articles | Health Equity and Specific Populations Articles | Technical Briefs and Other Evidence Reports

General Methods Articles

Read articles that provide further details on the Task Force’s methodology.

3/27/2023	Putting Evidence Into Practice: An Update on the US Preventive Services Task Force Methods for Developing Recommendations for Preventive Services
3/22/2022	Collaboration and Shared Decision-Making Between Patients and Clinicians in Preventive Health Care Decisions and US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations
1/1/2022	Preventing Opioid Use Disorder and Misuse in Primary Care Patients: A Call for Relevant Primary Prevention Intervention Research (Abstract)
9/24/2019	Improvements to the US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement (Fact Sheet, PDF File, 45 KB; 1 Page)
12/15/2017	AJPM Supplement: Advancing the Methods of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
7/05/2016	Use of Decision Models in the Development of Evidence-Based Clinical Preventive Services Recommendations (PDF File, 202 KB)
11/17/2015	Evidence-Based Clinical Prevention in the Era of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
9/01/2015	Behavioral Counseling in Primary Care: Perspectives in Enhancing the Evidence Base
3/18/2014	Behavioral Counseling Research and Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations
6/1/2009	USPSTF: An Evidence-Based Prevention Resource for Nurse Practitioners (PDF File, 510 KB)
2/03/2009	Update on Methods: Insufficient Evidence (PDF File, 229 KB)
12/18/2007	Update on Methods: Estimating Certainty and Magnitude of Net Benefit (PDF File, 90 KB)
7/17/2007	Current Processes: Refining Evidence-Based Recommendation Development (PDF File, 101 KB)
7/17/2007	Update on Methods: How to Read the New Recommendation Statement (PDF File, 302 KB)
3/01/2007	Integrating Evidence-Based Clinical and Community Strategies to Improve Health (PDF File, 378 KB)
1/01/2004	Shared Decision Making About Screening and Chemoprevention (PDF File, 106 KB)
5/01/2002	Behavioral Counseling Interventions: An Evidence-Based Approach (PDF File, 178 KB)
4/01/2001	Current Methods of the USPSTF: A Review of the Process (PDF File, 274 KB)
4/01/2001	AJPM Supplement: Introducing the Third U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Health Equity and Specific Populations Articles

Read articles related to the Task Force’s focus on addressing health equity and systemic racism and articles relevant to the development of recommendations for specific populations based on sex, age, race and ethnicity, and other factors. A summary of the Task Force's approach to specific populations is available on the Specific Populations page.

11/08/2021	Actions to Transform US Preventive Services Task Force Methods to Mitigate Systemic Racism in Clinical Preventive Services
10/25/2021	USPSTF Approach to Addressing Sex and Gender When Making Recommendations for Clinical Preventive Services
9/01/2021	Incorporation of Social Risk in US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations and Identification of Key Challenges for Primary Care (see Evidence Reports section below for related information)
7/1/2021	Importance of Assessing Wellbeing for U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations (Abstract)
1/25/2021	Addressing Systemic Racism Through Clinical Preventive Service Recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force
7/14/2020	Developing Primary Care–Based Recommendations for Social Determinants of Health
12/1/2019	Social Determinants as a Preventive Service: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Methods Considerations for Research
5/15/2019	What Evidence Do We Need Before Recommending Routine Screening for Social Determinants of Health?
4/18/2017	Developing Recommendations for Evidence-Based Clinical Preventive Services for Diverse Populations
3/02/2017	An Approach to Addressing Subpopulation Considerations in Systematic Reviews
7/08/2016	USPSTF Approach to Child Cognitive and Behavioral Health (PDF File, 134 KB)
2/02/2014	USPSTF Analytic Framework for Child and Adolescent Health Topics
10/01/2012	Challenges in Synthesizing the Evidence on Interventions to Prevent Functional Decline in Older Adults (PDF File, 1.1 MB)
9/25/2012	Individualizing Cancer Screening in Older Adults (PDF File, 211 KB)
7/02/2012	USPSTF Perspective on Evidence-Based Preventive Recommendations for Children
7/01/2011	Common Syndromes in Older Adults Related to Primary and Secondary Prevention (PDF File, 4.9 MB)
3/01/2011	Values of Older Adults Related to Primary and Secondary Prevention (PDF File, 522 KB)
12/21/2010	Reconsidering the Approach to Prevention Recommendations for Older Adults (PDF File, 359 KB)

Technical Briefs and Other Evidence Reports

Read evidence reports that are not associated with USPSTF recommendations.

12/19/2021	Supporting Communication of Shared Decision-Making Principles in US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations
11/08/2021	Addressing Racism in Preventive Services: Methods Report to Support the US Preventive Services Task Force (JAMA article)
11/08/2021	Addressing Racism in Preventive Services: A Methods Project for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (PDF File, 2 MB)
9/29/2021	Genomic Testing for Screening or Disease Risk Prediction: A Technical Brief to Support the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (PDF File, 1.4 MB)
9/01/2021	Screening and Interventions for Social Risk Factors: Technical Brief to Support the US Preventive Services Task Force (JAMA article)
9/01/2021	Screening and Interventions for Social Risk Factors: A Technical Brief to Support the US Preventive Services Task Force (PDF File, 2.9 MB)
5/20/2021	Primary Care-Relevant Interventions to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder: Current Research and Evidence Gaps (PDF File, 642 KB)

Note: All publications are reflections of the Task Force’s methods at the time of publication. For current Task Force methods, please refer to the Task Force’s Procedure Manual.

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Current as of: March 2023

Internet Citation: Methods and Processes. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. June 2019.

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