Development and validation of measurement instruments for Ayurveda research: A systematic review protocol

The growing global recognition of Ayurveda, an ancient holistic system of medicine, highlights the urgent need for well-developed and validated measurement instruments to assess its core constructs and clinical concepts used in diagnosis and treatment. Although several psychometric and clinical tools have been designed to quantify these traditionally qualitative aspects, their evolution has often been marked by methodological inconsistencies and inadequate psychometric validation, limiting their acceptance and practical application in both research and clinical domains. Addressing this gap, the present systematic review aims to comprehensively identify, map, and characterize the existing measurement instruments developed or adapted for Ayurvedic constructs and concepts. It further seeks to delineate the methodological challenges encountered during their development and validation, and to suggest future directions for improving their psychometric rigor, clinical relevance, and scientific robustness to enhance their use in evidence-based Ayurvedic research. A systematic and exhaustive search will be carried out across multiple databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, AYUSH Research Portal, DHARA, Shodhganga, and Google Scholar, using a combination of controlled vocabulary (such as MeSH terms) and free-text keywords integrated with Boolean operators. In addition, reference lists of selected studies and grey literature sources will be screened to ensure comprehensive coverage. Two independent reviewers will perform study screening, data extraction, and quality assessment following standardized procedures. This protocol has been registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD420251102044). Since this is a review protocol, definitive results are not yet available. However, the forthcoming review is expected to present an extensive overview of the current landscape of Ayurvedic measurement instruments, elucidate existing methodological and psychometric gaps, and propose strategies for their refinement. These outcomes will be instrumental in reinforcing the scientific foundation of Ayurveda, promoting methodological rigor, and fostering its integration into global healthcare systems.