Table 2 Study schedule for data collection

Sociodemographic data

✔

GERD pattern identification tool

✔

✔

Collection and distribution of diary

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Assessment of beliefs in the acupuncture effectiveness

✔

Adequate relief (AR)

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Nepean Dyspepsia Index - Korean (NDI-K)

✔

✔

✔

Numeric rating scale (NRS) for GERD

✔

✔

✔

Korean Gastrointestinal Symptom rating scale (KGSRS)

✔

✔

✔

EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D)

✔

✔

✔

Perceived Stress Scale-Korean (PSS)

✔

✔

✔

Gut hormones (gastrin and motilin)

✔

✔

Blood collection for cytokine analysis

✔

✔

Qi stagnation and spleen Qi deficiency questionnaire

✔

✔

PGIC GERD symptom

✔

✔

Blinding Index (BI) and cCredibility test

✔

Adverse events investigation

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Assessment of concomitant therapy and lifestyle modification

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Evaluation of rescue medicines

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔