| Title： | Guidelines for Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment of Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension |
| Edition： | Original |
| Classification： | Experts consensus |
| Field： | Diagnosis and Treatment |
| Countries and regions： | China |
| Guidelines users： | Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine rheumatology specialists, cardiologists, respiratory and critical care physicians, clinical pharmacists, and primary healthcare professionals |
| Evidence classification method： | 1. GRADE System (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) Evidence Quality Grading**: - High Quality Further research is unlikely to change the confidence in the estimate of effect. - Moderate Quality Further research may have a significant impact on the confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. - Low Quality Further research is very likely to have a significant impact on the confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the current estimate. - Very Low Quality: Confidence in the estimate of effect is very limited, and further research is almost certain to affect the current estimate. Recommendation Strength Grading - Strong Recommendation: A clear recommendation to adopt the intervention, based on high-quality evidence. - Weak Recommendation: A suggestion to consider the intervention, based on lower quality evidence or after balancing different interests, indicating that the intervention should be applied flexibly depending on the specific situation. 2. AGREE II Tool (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II) The AGREE II tool is mainly used to evaluate the guideline development process, aiming to ensure systematic and transparent development. Although this tool does not directly grade the evidence, it provides important assurance for the rationality of evidence grading and the scientific nature of guideline recommendations, ensuring the rigor and credibility of guideline development. 3. Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinical Evidence Classification Strong Evidence: Supported by multiple high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs), clearly demonstrating the reliability of the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Moderate Evidence Supported by a few high-quality RCTs or multiple moderate-quality studies, indicating potential efficacy of the TCM therapy, though more evidence is needed for verification. Weak Evidence Mainly based on traditional experience or low-quality studies, though evidence is limited, it still holds certain clinical value, especially in areas not fully covered by modern research. |
| Development unit： | Chinese Association of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine rheumatology professional committee |
| Registration time: | 2024-09-01 |
| Registration number： | PREPARE-2024CN370 |
| Purpose of the guideline: | This guideline is intended to provide standards and recommendations for the integrated diagnosis and treatment of connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH) to healthcare professionals, including specialists in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine rheumatology, cardiology, respiratory and critical care medicine, clinical pharmacists, and primary care providers. The goal is to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of CTD-PAH and improve patient outcomes. |
