Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany
The Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany, established in 1962 and located in Frankfurt am Main, is the umbrella organisation of more than 185 German medical societies.
It coordinates and publishes medical guidelines, promotes scientific exchange and represents the interests of medical associations to the public.
It is the German representative in the "Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences CIOMS" at WHO.
Guidelines
The AWMF applies four levels of classification to medical guidelines: S3, S2e, S2k and S1.| S3 | Evidence and consensus-based | The highest level, for guidelines based on both a systematic analysis of the evidence and a structured consensus among a representative committee |
| S2e | Evidence-based | Guidelines based on a systematic analysis of the evidence |
| S2k | Consensus-based | Guidelines based on a structured consensus among a representative committee |
| S1 | Expert recommendations | The lowest level, for expert recommendations that have not been developed systematically |