Currently

there is no international standard for the methodology of patient versions of guideline development. In China

the development of patient versions of guidelines is still in its infancy

and there are no registered or published patient versions of guidelines in the field of acupuncture. This paper introduces two methods of developing patient versions of guidelines: directly converting clinical practice guidelines into patient versions guidelines and developing patient versions of guidelines independently. The relationship and differences between patient guidelines and clinical practice versions of guidelines are compared. By integrating the unique characteristics of acupuncture

this paper analyzes and discusses the significance

problems

and challenges of developing patient versions of guidelines in the field of acupuncture

aiming to provide methodological references for the future development of acupuncture patient versions of guidelines.