Review of the first 20 years of the Evidence‐Based Medicine Committee of the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjective/backgroundThe Evidence‐Based Medicine Special Committee of the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine was launched in 2001. We summarize the task force‐specific activities of this committee over the past 20 years.Task forcesThe Evidence Reports Task Force compiles randomized controlled trials and meta‐analyses on Kampo extract products. Since 2007, the collated list is available on the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine website. As of 1 February 2021, there are 478 trials and three meta‐analyses.The Clinical Practice Guidelines Task Force identifies descriptions of Kampo medicines in such guidelines. As of 1 February 2021, there are 135 guidelines (9.6%) on Kampo extract products among 1411 guidelines published in Japan. These guidelines can be classified into three types: type A (n = 40), references, evidence grades, and recommendation gradings; type B (n = 51), only references; and type C (n = 44), no references.The Standards of Reporting Kampo Products Task Force manages the website (http://mpdb.nibiohn.go.jp/stork/) and provides information on the characteristics of 148 Kampo products marketed in Japan, acting as a simple, comprehensive reference for Kampo formulae, and promoting uniform understanding among authors, reviewers, and readers.The Best‐Case Task Force compiled remarkably effective cases as evidence of Kampo treatment in 2006. The “Kakkonto Project” collected best‐case series of kakkonto. The project ended in 2011 because of the number of cases was limited.ConclusionThe committee established significant landmarks for evidence‐based Kampo medicine and collected a reliable information resource. The guidelines repository is continuously updated with new information. A standard platform for referencing Kampo formulae in research articles is also well established.