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

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Ayurvedic Medicine
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Growing global recognition of Ayurveda necessitates validated measurement instruments.
• Existing tools for Ayurvedic constructs often suffer from methodological inconsistencies and inadequate validation.
• This limits their application in research and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify, map, and characterize measurement instruments for Ayurvedic constructs.
• To delineate challenges in their development and validation.
• To propose future directions for enhancing psychometric rigor and clinical relevance.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, etc.) and grey literature.
• Use of controlled vocabulary and free-text keywords with Boolean operators.
• Independent screening, data extraction, and quality assessment by two reviewers.

Main Results:

• This protocol outlines a forthcoming systematic review; definitive results are pending.
• The review will provide an overview of current Ayurvedic measurement instruments.
• It will identify methodological and psychometric gaps and suggest refinement strategies.

Conclusions:

• The planned review will offer a comprehensive assessment of Ayurvedic measurement tools.
• It aims to address psychometric and methodological limitations.
• Findings will support evidence-based Ayurvedic research and global healthcare integration.