Development of an Expert Consensus on Electroacupuncture for Trigeminal Neuralgia Using the Delphi Method: A Study Protocol

Mo-Ran Xu,1,* Ni-Sang Chen,1,* Jun-Yi Wang,1 Dong Wang,2 Wei-Wei Fan,3 Ya-Bo Hao,4 Fan Liu,2 Zhang-Hui Yang,2 Ji Jiang,2 Kun Chen,3 Yuan-yuan Wu1 1The Third Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Zhejiang Greentown Cardiovascular Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 3Pingyang Research Institute, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 4Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Kun Chen, Pingyang Research Institute Zhejiang Chinese Medical University XX Chezhan Avenue, Aojiang Town, Pingyang County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325401, People’s Republic of China, Email 624729624@qq.com Yuan-yuan Wu, The Third Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 219 Moganshan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310005, People’s Republic of China, Email runnaway@126.comIntroduction: Electroacupuncture (EA) is increasingly used in the management of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), yet treatment approaches vary widely across clinical practice. Standardized guidelines are currently lacking. This protocol describes a Delphi study designed to develop expert consensus on EA use for TN.Methods and Analysis: A multi-round Delphi process will be conducted with a multidisciplinary panel of clinicians in acupuncture, and neurology. Survey items will be developed from a systematic review, and experts will rate them to evaluate their relevance and level of agreement. Consensus will be determined using predefined criteria following the ACcurate COnsensus Reporting Document (ACCORD) guideline.Ethics and Dissemination: This protocol has received ethics approval from the relevant institutional review boards and has been registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF). The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and academic conferences.Conclusion: This study outlines a modified Delphi process designed to develop a structured expert consensus on the use of EA for TN. Its primary aim is to address the considerable heterogeneity in current EA practice by establishing a standardized framework for clinical and research parameters.Contribution to the Literature: This study addresses the lack of standardized recommendations for EA in TN and aims to provide structured expert guidance to support more consistent clinical practice.Keywords: electroacupuncture, trigeminal neuralgia, Delphi method, expert consensus