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Medical research reporting guidelines play a pivotal role in enhancing research quality and promoting transparency in trial reporting. Over the past decade, Chinese medicine research reporting guidelines have made significant progress, undergoing updates and robust development, especially in the last five years. Notably, the Chinese EQUATOR Centre, the first reporting guidelines research center in Asia, has been established, leading to the introduction of numerous reporting guidelines tailored to Chinese medicine. Consequently, a structured reporting standard system for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) clinical trials has started to take form. Given this context, it is imperative to systematically assess the current state and challenges of TCM reporting guidelines to facilitate further advancements in this domain.

In response to this need, Dr. Zhang Xuan, Research Assistant Professor of School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, initiated the "Application Research on Reporting Guidelines of Traditional Chinese medicine Clinical Trials" project, which received funding from the Chinese Medicine Development Fund (Project number: 20B2/027A). This project spanned two years, from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2023. Dr. Zhang led a research team to achieve the following objectives: i) for the first time, evaluate the quality of reports on TCM clinical trials, conducting a total of eight comprehensive reviews after the release of relevant TCM reporting guidelines; ii) carry out the first systematic study based on the distinctive characteristics of TCM reporting to elucidate the key factors influencing its dissemination and application; iii) through expert consultations, develop the first recommendation of "Consensus-based Approaches to Promote Application of TCM Reporting Guidelines" encompassing seven recommended measures and strategies for immediate implementation, along with six additional measures and suggestions for future reference.

Several notable outcomes were observed during the implementation of the project. Firstly, the analysis of tens of thousands of published clinical studies resulted in the production of eight high-quality review articles. These articles provide valuable insights into the current state of TCM clinical trial reporting. Secondly, a survey questionnaire was conducted to assess the awareness and utilization of TCM reporting guidelines. A total of 261 respondents from 18 countries and regions, including China, the USA, the UK, Australia, Japan, and South Korea, participated in the survey. The diverse range of participants allows for a comprehensive understanding of the global perspective regarding TCM reporting guidelines. Lastly, two rounds of expert consultations were conducted based on the findings from the review articles and survey questionnaire. The opinions of 42 professionals and senior experts, 80% of whom were involved in the research and development of the reporting guidelines as well as 45% were play a developer role, were included during these consultations. Ultimately, these discussions led to the development of the " Consensus-based Approaches to Promote Application of TCM Reporting Guidelines", the first recommendation in the field of TCM reporting guideline.

This project fills a significant research gap by systematically addressing the current status of applications of TCM reports. The outcomes of this study will contribute to the advancement and implementation of TCM reporting standards, leading to improvements in the quality of research reports and enhancing the international recognition of TCM research evidence.