Effect of a trace-preserving, knowledge-based reasoning system on Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostic reasoning- study protocol for an assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial

This study protocol describes an assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate whether a trace-preserving, knowledge-based reasoning system improves diagnostic reasoning quality in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The trial targets senior students and early-career practitioners in Alberta, Canada, comparing the intervention system against standard case-based worksheets. The primary outcome is the quality of diagnostic reasoning measured by the DRQR-TCM rubric.