Researchers Propose Framework to Standardize Ayurvedic Clinical Trial Protocols
A team of researchers, including Satyajit Pandurang Kulkarni, Bharat Rathi, Shweta Parwe, and Pallavi Kulkarni, has introduced a methodological framework and eleven candidate reporting extensions aimed at standardizing clinical trial protocols for Ayurvedic whole-system interventions. This proposal builds upon the EQUATOR Network guideline development process, seeking to integrate principles of reproducibility, transparency, and open science into Ayurvedic research. The initiative addresses long-standing challenges in applying conventional protocol reporting frameworks to individualized, multi-modal interventions characteristic of Ayurveda. While the updated SPIRIT 2025 statement includes an open-science section with 34 minimum protocol items, its applicability to the multi-modal logic of Ayurvedic research has been unclear. The proposed framework specifically examines how these open-science provisions can be systematically operationalized within Ayurvedic clinical trials. The candidate extensions are desi...
