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

Objective/background: The 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 forces: The 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. Conclusion: The 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.