GRADE500

Welcome to Papageorgiou GRADE Center

Papageorgiou GRADE Center

The reference point in Greece for evidence-based scientific research, practice, and training of guidelines. Member of the GRADE working group.

projects

Project

Papageorgiou GRADE Center is the base for the GRADE working group in Greece, providing training and support to systematic review authors and guideline developers in health, both in Greece and abroad. The GRADE methods (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) constitute a systematic and transparent framework for assessing the quality of scientific evidence and formulating recommendations in health guidelines.

mission

Mission

Papageorgiou GRADE Center aims to strengthen evidence-based decision-making in the field of health, based on the most reliable scientific data. Its goal is to support the effective formulation of health policies, the improvement of provided care, and the promotion of equitable and efficient access for citizens to high-quality therapeutic interventions.

GRADE500

About GRADE

The GRADE Working Group started in 2000 as an informal collaboration of scientists aiming to improve existing systems for evaluating research evidence in health. The Working Group developed a methodology that is generally applicable, substantive, and transparent, for assessing the reliability of research evidence and the strength of recommendations. Many international organizations use the GRADE methodology, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Learn more about assessing the reliability of evidence and the strength of recommendations at https://www.gradeworkinggroup.org/www.gradeworkinggroup.org/

Our center aims to utilize the GRADE method through activities that include:

  • The development and implementation of training programs for healthcare professionals, academics, and health policy makers regarding the use of GRADE.
  • Providing technical and methodological support and consulting to groups/medical associations, etc., wishing to develop clinical practice guidelines or conduct research syntheses.
  • Developing collaborations with academic institutions, scientific societies, international organizations (e.g., World Health Organization), and public organizations (e.g., Ministry of Health, National Organization for Medicines) to promote common standards in evidence assessment and the adoption of evidence-based health policies.
  • Participating in research projects aimed at adapting, developing, and evaluating the GRADE methodology in new scientific fields.
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Stavros Antoniou

Director of the Papageorgiou GRADE Center, Chair of the Guidelines Committee of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery, and Head of the Working Group for the development of AGREE-S. General surgeon at the Surgical Department of Papageorgiou Hospital, with a special interest in laparoscopic surgery.
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Anna-Bettina Haidits

Director of the Laboratory of Hygiene, Social & Preventive Medicine, and Medical Statistics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, with a special interest in meta-research.
Alexander-Tzanis

Alexandros A. Tzanis

Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the 1st University Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – “Alexandra” General Hospital. Member of the Guidelines Committee of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery. 
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Sofia Tsokani

Biostatistician. Postdoctoral Researcher at the Laboratory of Medical Statistics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
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Maria Grammatikopoulou

Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics at the Department of Medicine, University of Thessaly. Her research interests focus on nutritional therapy and the relationship between nutrition and health, both in primary studies and meta-research.
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Maria Bigaki

Economist and Program Manager at the Project Management Office of Papageorgiou General Hospital. Project Manager of the Papageorgiou GRADE Center and the Guidelines Committee of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery.
Dimitrios-Goulis

Dimitrios G. Goulis

Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) | President, European Menopause and Andropause Society (2021–2023) | Vice President, Hellenic Endocrine Society – Panhellenic Union of Endocrinologists (2024–2026) | General Secretary, European Academy of Andrology (2014–2018) | Treasurer, International Society of Andrology (2021–2025) | Director, Training Centre of the European Academy of Andrology (2013–2027) | Director, Postgraduate Program “Research Methodology in Medicine and Health Sciences,” Department of Medicine, AUTH (2018–2021) | Coordinator, PhD Committee, Department of Medicine, AUTH (2023–2026) | Co-Chair, Guidelines Committee, European Academy of Andrology (2017–2025).
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Thomas Karagiannis

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Methodologist on the Guidelines Oversight Committee of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), with a special interest in systematic reviews and the GRADE methodology.
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Adriani Nikolakopoulou

Assistant Professor of Medical Statistics – Epidemiology at the Laboratory of Hygiene, Social & Preventive Medicine and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Visiting Researcher at the Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics (IMBI), University of Freiburg, Germany. Her research focuses on the development of methodology for meta-analysis, a field in which she has published more than 60 articles in international medical and statistical journals. 
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Dimitris Mavridis

Professor of Statistics at the Department of Primary Education, University of Ioannina. Editor-in-Chief of the journal Research Synthesis Methods. His research interests focus on the development of statistical methodology in meta-analysis.
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Apostolos Tsapas

Dr. Apostolos Tsapas is a Professor of Internal Medicine – Diabetes at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and Director of the Diabetes Center and the 2nd Department of Internal Medicine at Hippokration General Hospital of Thessaloniki.
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Fani Apostolidou-Kiouti

PhD candidate at the Laboratory of Medical Statistics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with a research interest in data synthesis and its methodology. General surgeon in the private sector.
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Arriana Gkouvi

Resident in Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University General Hospital of Larissa
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Konstantinos Perivoliotis

Perivoliotis Konstantinos MD, MSc, ChM(Ed), PhD, FEBS - Systematic Reviewer EAES Guidelines Committee, Colorectal Fellow Royal Marsden Hospital, General Surgery Consultant General Hospital of Volos

Education level

The Papageorgiou GRADE Center offers two main training workshops, which can be adapted according to specific needs.
The workshops are aimed at healthcare professionals, staff of public and private health units, as well as groups involved in guideline development. Additionally, they can be used as introductory training for new members of guideline committees.

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Workshop

Use of the GRADE methodology for summarizing research evidence

The Workshop  Use of the GRADE methodology for summarizing research evidence aims at systematic review authors, guideline development groups, and anyone wishing to apply the GRADE methodology in the synthesis and interpretation of research evidence. It is conducted in two half-day training sessions and covers the GRADE methods for interpreting findings and assessing the certainty of evidence, preparing summary of findings tables and evidence profiles, as well as the software that supports the use of GRADE.

Workshop

Use of the GRADE Evidence-to-Decision (EtD) framework for making recommendations and decisions in healthcare

The Workshop Use of the GRADE Evidence-to-Decision (EtD) framework for making recommendations and decisions in healthcare it is intended for those involved in the development of clinical practice or health policy guidelines, as well as for staff of public and private health units and central bodies engaged in organizational policy-making. The seminar introduces participants to the process of moving from research evidence to final recommendations, utilizing the GRADE methodology and the Evidence-to-Decision framework. The workshop is offered as a half-day session for those attending the basic GRADE training program on evidence synthesis but can also be delivered independently, upon request, to new committee members or organizations seeking targeted introductory training.

Training Program 2025/2026

Soon to be announced

Contribution to methodology

The Papageorgiou GRADE Center conducts research on determining utility values and minimal important differences in outcome measures following surgical interventions.

 

  1. Determination of utility values and minimal important differences in outcome measures after cholecystectomy
  2. Determination of utility values and minimal important differences in outcome measures after inguinal hernia repair

If you are interested in contributing to the research programs,

Contact us

GRADE Centers

GRADE Networks