Weighted mean: A possible method to express overall Dhatu Sarata

Several questions are being raised regarding the accuracy of the methods of diagnosis and reporting of various clinical parameters according to Ayurveda in recent times. Uniformity in reporting, issues related to inter-rater variability, uniformity in applying statistical tests, reliability, consistency, and validation of various tools, - are some of the major concerns that are being voiced. Dhatu Sarata is one such domain where no substantial work has been carried out to address these issues. The Sanskrit term "Dhatu" roughly translates as a "tissue." Sarata stands for the status of Dhatu in a given individual, i.e., it describes whether the status is excellent, moderate, or poor. In the available research literature, there are several gaps while dealing with and reporting the clinical assessment of Dhatu. Most of the workers group an individual into any one of the categories of Dhatu Sarata, and this approach neglects the contribution of other Dhatus to the overall Sarata in that individual. In this communication, we propose the usefulness of "weighted mean" in expressing the overall Sarata in an individual. This gives the researcher a freedom of not classifying an individual into any one group of Sarata, while also simultaneously allowing him/her to retain the focus on the status of an individual Dhatu.