Addressing clinical practice variability in Ayurveda: An urgent need for developing clinical practice guidelines

Abstract

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), which incorporate current evidence with the pondered judgment of experts, represent a promising approach to reducing unwarranted practice variation and promoting the application of research findings in clinical settings.

Globally, CPGs are developed by numerous local, national, and international organizations, and their production has significantly increased in the last two decades. In the realm of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM), CPGs are gaining popularity, offering evidence-based recommendations for implementing T&CM interventions in clinical practice.

While Korean medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine, and Kampo medicine have established robust CPGs guiding their healthcare practices and research in selected areas, the utilization of CPGs in any of the Ayush (term that represents the traditional and complementary systems of medicine, namely Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy) systems of medicine remains largely unexplored. This paper advocates for investigating the feasibility of CPGs as a promising research program, outlining areas where they could be implemented and the benefits they could bring. It represents one of the initial studies exploring the potential of CPGs in Ayurveda.

The authors argue that it is crucial for stakeholders to provide the necessary momentum to develop robust and effective CPGs that integrate research with clinical practice to enhance patient care.