Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Background:</bold> Core outcome sets (COS) are minimum sets of outcomes that should be measured and reported in all clinical trials in specific areas of health or health care. COS use is recommended by the Cochrane Handbook. Although research has shown that the uptake of COS in Cochrane systematic reviews (SRs) is low, it has improved. Chinese researchers published a large number of SRs each year, however, the uptake of COS in SRs conducted by Chinese researchers is unclear. <bold>Methods:</bold> Four diseases (lung cancer, ischemic stroke, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and knee osteoarthritis) have with high-quality COS and are among the top 25 causes of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in China. We will search SRs led by authors from China, published in Chinese- or English-language journals. We will assess the overlap in scope between SRs and COS as well as the extent of overlap between the COS outcomes and the SR outcomes. Then we will conduct an online survey to identify the knowledge and perceptions of COS among authors of included SRs. We will conduct qualitative interviews of systematic reviewers who complete the online survey until is saturation reached. <bold>Discussion:</bold> Understanding systematic reviewers’ knowledge and perceptions of COS may help the future dissemination and implementation of COS among systematic reviewers in China. </p>