[Chinese practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2026 revision): protocol].

. Since the publication of the 2021 Chinese guideline, new evidence has emerged regarding disease burden, early identification and active screening, lung function and imaging assessment, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of stable disease, management of acute exacerbations, and comorbidity identification and management. Given the large patient population in China, persistent underdiagnosis, and the incorporation of COPD management into China's national basic public health services, an updated guideline is needed that integrates evidence-based findings from both domestic and international research over the past five years-particularly studies in Chinese populations-to produce a scientific, practical, and forward-looking guideline. The guideline is jointly initiated by the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Group of the Chinese Thoracic Society and the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Group of the Chinese Association of Chest Physicians, with methodological support from Peking University Third Hospital. The guideline has been registered at the International Practice Guidelines Registry Platform (registration No.: PREPARE-2026CN522). The guideline working group consists of a steering committee, advisory experts, clinical writing experts, an evidence appraisal group, a secretariat, and external reviewers. The work focuses on key domains including diagnosis, assessment, stable-phase management, acute exacerbation management, and comorbidity management of COPD, with 22clinical questions formulated and structurally deconstructed using the PICO framework. Evidence is symstematically retrieved from Chinese and English databases, appraised using the GRADE approach, and translated into recommendations through a modified Delphi consensus process and expert meetings. The full guideline will be drafted in accordance with the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) statement and is planned for publication in 2026, with the aim of improving the standardization of COPD diagnosis and treatment in China and reducing the disease burden.