Abstract

Objective To describe and record the evolution of EBM in China.

Study design and setting We conducted the study following the general methodology of oral history. The interviews were done at Lanzhou University, between 18th and 22nd April 2019 using pre-defined questions. All interviews were video recorded. Two investigators extracted and analyzed the information from the interviews independently.

Results One international expert and ten Chinese experts participated in the interviews. After the introduction of EBM in China in the mid-1990s, more than 20 EBM centres have been established. According to the interviewees, Gordon Guyatt, David Sackett and lain Chalmers are the international experts who played the most important role in the development of EBM in China. China has contributed to EBM on the international level by conducting systematic reviews, developing reporting checklists, and introducing the principles of EBM into Traditional Medicine. The Chinese Cochrane Centre and the EBM Centre of Lanzhou University were ranked the top two EBM Centres in China by the interviewees.

Conclusion EBM has been developing in China for nearly a quarter of a century. Many achievements have been reached, however, EBM is still facing many challenges in China, including shortages of funding support and personnel, as well as limited local high-quality evidence.

Keywords China; Clinical Epidemiology; Evidence-Based Medicine; Oral History; The Chinese GRADECentre; Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Li B, Yan Y, Lv M, Zhao G, Li Z, Feng S, Hu J, Zhang Y, Yu X, Zhang J, Ma B, Yang K, Chen Y. Clinical Epidemiology in China series. Paper 1: Evidence-based medicine in China: An oral history study. J Clin Epidemiol. 2021 Dec; 140: 165-171. doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.08.012. Epub 2021 Aug 17. PMID: 34416324.