MDCalc Announces New Quality Rating System for Clinical Algorithms

Marking 20 years of evidence-based decision support, MDCalc introduces a Quality Rating System to bring greater clarity, transparency, and safety to 800+ clinical decision tools.

New York, NY – [December 11, 2025] – MDCalc, the second most widely used clinical reference tool by clinicians nationwide and internationally¹, today announced the launch of a comprehensive Quality Rating System for its extensive library of clinical calculators and diagnostic tools. The system, which will evaluate more than 800 clinical decision tools on MDCalc’s platform, is designed to help the 1.3 million U.S. clinicians, and millions more worldwide quickly, assess which tools are most appropriate for their patients.

“With the rapid proliferation of clinical prediction models and diagnostic tools in healthcare, clinicians increasingly need transparent information about the quality and applicability of the tools they use in practice,” said Dr. Shazia Siddique, MDCalc advisor and lead developer of the rating system. “MDCalc's new Quality Rating System addresses this critical need while also helping researchers identify evidence gaps in existing tools and prioritize studies to strengthen model quality.”

With the Quality Rating System, each tool will also receive an aggregate quality score, derived from three major sub-domains:

1. Importance – Assesses the clinical need and applicability of the tool, as well as alignment with current standards in the United States based on professional society guidance.

2. Scientific Soundness – Evaluates the quality of model development, model performance, and bias and fairness. This domain leverages established frameworks including the PROBAST (Prediction Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool) critical appraisal tool, robust model performance metrics, alongside recent methodologic assessments on algorithmic bias and fairness. Models shown to worsen disparities in real-world studies will receive no points in the bias and fairness category. Other concerns, such as differential performance across populations or limited validation studies, also impact the overall score.

3. Usability and Feasibility – Considers the ease with which clinicians can utilize the tool given information typically available at the point of care.

Scores will appear on the page of every type of tool available on MDCalc, ranging from risk assessments, drug dosing tools, and diagnostic criteria, with both the overall rating and the underlying sub-domain scores displayed. All scoring criteria will be transparently detailed for clinicians who want deeper context, while the aggregate score will surface in browsing views to provide a clear, quick-glance reference.

The Quality Rating System was developed through an iterative, expert-consensus approach, known as a modified Delphi process, by a team including Shazia Siddique MD MSHP, Corinne Evans, MPP, Julie Fricke, PhD, Michael Harhay, PhD, and Eric S. Johnson, PhD. The team incorporated input from a diverse Advisory Board spanning multiple institutions, practice types, and clinical specialties to ensure the system addresses real-world clinical needs. The Advisory Board includes Helen Burstin MD, Andrew M. Ibrahim MD, MSc, FACS; Rachel Kohn, MD; Karen Joynt Maddox, MD; Jennifer Lin, MD; Justin List, MD, MAR, MSc, FACP; Eric Schneider, MD; and Joseph Wright, MD, MPH.

The launch of this system builds on MDCalc’s 20-year commitment to evidence-based, clinician-centered decision support and represents a major milestone in the company’s long-standing effort to strengthen quality, safety, and transparency across clinical algorithms.

"For two decades, MDCalc has been a critical aspect of modern medical practice – a bridge between academics and bedside practice. The Quality Rating System is the next step in that evolution,” said Dr. Joseph Habboushe, Co-Founder and CEO of MDCalc. “As the volume of clinical algorithms grows, clinicians need a way to understand which aspects of tools stand on solid evidence and where they may introduce risk. This system brings that clarity, empowering clinicians with the information they need to make the best possible decisions for their patients."

This work additionally stemmed from recent collaboration with the Council of Medical Specialty Societies' Encoding Equity Alliance, funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.

"This system fills a critical gap in the field,” shared Dr. Helen Burstin, CEO of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. “Clinicians rely on hundreds of algorithms every day, yet very few have been evaluated with a consistent, evidence-based framework. MDCalc’s Quality Rating System provides that structure, clarifying the strength of individual tools, and helping ensure they advance safety and equity rather than inadvertently undermining them."

Clinicians will see the Quality Rating System on MDCalc in early 2026.

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¹Health Tech Without Borders, “Global Health Survey Series: Clinician Use and Perception of Clinical Decision Support Tools,” 2025. https://www.htwb.org/global-health-survey-series