On the evening of October 17, 2025, the mid-term experience-sharing meeting for the China Rehabilitation Medicine Association’s 2024 Science and Technology Development Project—the multi-center study on the reliability and validity of the China-Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS)—organized under the leadership of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, was successfully held at the Courtyard by Marriott Nanjing Jiangning.

This conference brought together expert leaders, project managers, and researchers from all participating sub-centers nationwide, including 18 representatives such as Professor Ye Xiangming from Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Professor Wan Chunxiao from the General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, and Director Zhang Yilei from Xiangya Bo’ai Rehabilitation Hospital. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Wang Yifang of Nanjing Zijin Hospital and was conducted via simultaneous online livestream, enabling participation from sub-center representatives who could not attend in person. Together, they summarized the project’s interim achievements, shared practical experiences, and collaboratively charted a course for future development.

At the outset of the meeting, Ge Jiangping, head of the research team and president of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, delivered a welcoming address. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all participating centers for their active engagement and strong commitment, and provided an update on the current progress of the study. The multi-center investigation into the reliability and validity of the Chinese Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS) officially commenced in April this year. Over the past six months, thanks to the concerted efforts of all sub-centers, 964 participants had been enrolled as of the meeting date. Among them, Nanjing Zijin Hospital, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Huashan Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, and Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital ranked among the top five in terms of enrollment completion. Regarding the next phase of the work, President Ge Jiangping outlined specific expectations and expressed full confidence that the project would be successfully concluded.

During the experience-sharing session, Professor Ye Xiangming from Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital began by presenting an overview of his center’s operations. His center is tasked with enrolling 150 cases and has already enrolled 83. By overcoming institutional‑site constraints and streamlining the assessment process, they have significantly improved enrollment efficiency. He also addressed the differences among various assessment scales when evaluating special patient populations.

Professor Wan Chunxiao of the General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University highlighted the quality management system. The center has established a proactive quality-control framework, developed standardized procedures, and conducted targeted training, thereby significantly enhancing data quality. To date, 127 cases have been enrolled, with notable results in quality assurance and control.

Dr. Zhang Yilei of Xiangya Bo’ai Rehabilitation Hospital candidly shared the challenges encountered in advancing the research project, while also outlining three key strategies—organizational restructuring, enhanced training, and technology-driven empowerment—to boost the efficiency of the “enrollment–assessment–completion” workflow. These practical and actionable measures offer valuable guidance for sub-centers facing similar challenges.

Deputy Director Wang Guoxing of Nanjing Zijin Hospital reviewed the development of the CNCRS scale, outlining the training and assessment system, challenges encountered during implementation, and the third-party quality‑control mechanism. Through monthly quality‑control reports and ongoing corrective measures, all performance indicators have been steadily improving.
 

Huai Leifang, Quality Control Manager at Northgate Pharmaceutical Technology, presented the company’s quality‑assurance efforts from a third‑party perspective. Northgate Pharmaceutical Technology has completed a review of 114 cases and shared findings on common issues—such as informed consent signing, completeness of scale completion, and assessment consistency—with the attendees.

During the exchange and discussion session, researchers from each center engaged in an in-depth dialogue on issues such as the signing of informed consent forms, the application of assessment criteria, system‑operation optimization, and progress‑reminder mechanisms. Experts, including Gao Zhiqiang, Executive Vice President of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, provided on‑site clarifications on common challenges, thereby establishing clear operational guidelines and removing obstacles for subsequent work.

“When strength is united, nothing is unconquerable; when wisdom is pooled, nothing is unattainable.” We are confident that, through the concerted efforts of all, the CNCRS reliability and validity study will achieve resounding success, providing a scientifically sound, locally adapted assessment tool for disorders of consciousness in China and benefiting countless patients.