SU Kailin,FENG Zhenzhen,WANG Jiajia,et al.A Systematic Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Efficacy Evaluation Scales Based on the COSMIN Guidelines[J].Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2026,67(04):416-424.
SU Kailin,FENG Zhenzhen,WANG Jiajia,et al.A Systematic Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Efficacy Evaluation Scales Based on the COSMIN Guidelines[J].Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2026,67(04):416-424.DOI: 10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2026.04.013.
A Systematic Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Efficacy Evaluation Scales Based on the COSMIN Guidelines增强出版
检索中国知网、万方数据库、维普网、中国生物医学文献数据库、PubMed、Cochrane Library、Embase和Web of Science自建库至2025年4月2日收录的涉及中医证候疗效评价量表测量学特性评价的文献,提取资料,依据健康测量工具共识标准(COSMIN)评估纳入量表的方法学质量及测量学特性,并结合证据分级标准形成相应推荐意见。
To systematically evaluate the methodological quality and measurement properties of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome efficacy evaluation scales, and to provide evidence-based references for selecting high-quality assessment tools in TCM clinical practice.
Methods
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China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, VIP Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from inception to April 2, 2025, for studies evaluating the measurement properties of TCM syndrome efficacy evaluation scales. Data were extracted, and the methodological quality and measurement properties of the included scales were assessed according to the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments (COSMIN). Recommendation levels were formulated based on the grading of evidence.
Results
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A total of 46 studies were included, involving 22 generic syndrome efficacy evaluation scales and 24 disease-specific syndrome efficacy evaluation scales. None of the scales reported cross-cultural validity or measurement error. According to the recommendation grades, 2 scales met Grade A recommendations and are suggested for clinical use; 38 scales were classified as Grade B, indicating potential applicability but requiring further validation; and 6 scales were classified as Grade C, suggesting the need for further refinement.
Conclusion
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Existing TCM syndrome efficacy evaluation scales exhibit substantial variability in methodological quality, incomplete reporting of measurement properties, and insufficient attention to scale revision. Future efforts should emphasize standardized design in the development of TCM syndrome scales, strengthen validation procedures for key measurement properties, and prioritize dynamic revision of scales, thereby providing high-quality tools to support the precise evaluation of syndrome efficacy.
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