Application of System of Consortium Standards Rating and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine:Evaluation of 90 Standards

YU Xueyun; ZONG Xingyu; LI Huizhen; WANG Liying; ZHAO Xueyao; WANG Dingyi; LIN Jiahao; LIU Bin; GUO Yang; LIANG Ning; CHE Qianzi; JIANG Yin; ZHANG Haili; GONG Zhaoyuan; WANG Yanping; SHI Nannan

Abstract：Objective This study aims to evaluate the major disciplinary standards published by representative social organizations in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)industry,and to identify existing problems within these standards.Methods On the Service and Information Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine Standards and Guideline,using literature research and purposive sampling methods,we selected herbal medicine standards published by the China Association of Chinese Medicine(CACM).The System of Consortium Standards Rating and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine(SCORE-TCM)tool was employed to evaluate these standards across five dimensions:formulation entity,text drafting,technical content,promotion application,and implementation benefits.Results The CACM has the highest publication volume of TCM consortium standards,accounting for 76.20%(1 710/2 244).Among them,herbal medicine standards have the highest proportion,reaching 52.98%(906/1 710).Out of the 90 standards evaluated in this study,the median score was 7.53,with a maximum of 8.94,a minimum of 5.93,and a range of 3.01(out of a total score of 10).Scores varied across different standard categories.For instance,the TCM clinical application standards and the herbal commodity specification grade standards scored higher,with medians of 8.16 and 8.07,respectively.Conversely,the good agricultural practice(GAP)technical standard for medicinal herbs scored lower,with a median of 6.28.Additionally,the scores for the promotion,application,and implementation effectiveness of the standards show a decreasing trend year by year.Conclusion The TCM herbal consortium standards published by the CACM have played a supportive role in the entire chain of the traditional Chinese medicine industry,yet the quality is inconsistent,and there's still potential to enhance the promotional application and benefits of implementing these standards.The SCORE-TCM tool can be utilized for evaluating traditional Chinese medicine group standards,providing an effective method for wider TCM consortium standard evaluations in future.Future explorations may consider incorporating the"age of the standard"as a factor in the detailed scoring rules of the SCORE-TCM tool,to prevent standards from being disregarded or shelved upon completion.