Quality Evaluation and Reporting Specification for Real-World Evidence of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Article type
Authors
Chai Q1, Fei Y1, Gao R2, Xia R1, Lu F3, ZI M3, SUN M3, YANG Z4, CHEN D5, LIU J1
1Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
2 Institute of Clinical Pharmacology of Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
3Institute of Clinical Pharmacology of Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
4The First Affiliate Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine
5School of Public Health, Peking University
Abstract
ABSTRACT: In recent years, the real-world studies (RWS) have attracted extensive attention, and the real-world evidence (RWE) has been accepted to support the drug development in China and abroad. However, there is still a lack of standards for the evaluation of the quality of RWE. It is necessary to formulate a quality evaluation and reporting specification for RWE especially in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). To this end, under the guidance of the China Association of Chinese Medicine (CACM), the Quality Evaluation and Reporting Specification for Real-World Evidence of Traditional Chinese Medicine (QUERST) Group, including 24 experts (clinical epidemiologists, clinicians, pharmacologists, ethical reviewer and statisticians), was established to develop the specification. This specification contains the listing of classification of RWS design and RWE, the general principles and methods of RWE quality evaluation (26 tools or scales), 25 types of bias in RWS, the special considerations in evaluating the quality of RWE of TCM and the 19 reporting standards of RWE. This specification aims to propose the quality evaluation principles and key points of RWE and provide guidance for the proper use of RWE in the development of TCM new drugs.