Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine

Xuan Zhang; Han Li; Hanzhi Tan; Nana Wang; Chung Wah Cheng; Juan Wang; Dongni Shi; Lin Zhang; Yumeng Liu; Yao Wang; Shufeng Luo; Yaxin Lin; Lihan Hu; Xuanqi Zhang; Ji Li; Fei Han; Ping Wang; Aiping Lu; Zhaoxiang Bian

doi:10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4

Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine

Xuan Zhang^*, Han Li, Hanzhi Tan, Nana Wang, Chung Wah Cheng, Juan Wang, Dongni Shi, Lin Zhang, Yumeng Liu, Yao Wang, Shufeng Luo, Yaxin Lin, Lihan Hu, Xuanqi Zhang, Ji Li, Fei Han, Ping Wang, Aiping Lu, Zhaoxiang Bian^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

Abstract

With the successive release of the CONSORT extensions for acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and Tuina/massage, this review aims to assess the reporting characteristics and quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on these specific guidelines. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching multiple databases, including Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R), All EBM Reviews, AMED, CNKI, VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, and Wanfang Data, for publications from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Two reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of the records, extracted predetermined information, and assessed the reporting based on the STRICTA, STRICTOM, STRICTOC, and STRICTOTM checklists. Among the included 387 studies (acupuncture, 213; Tuina/massage, 85; moxibustion, 73; cupping, 16), the overall reporting compliance averaged 56.0%, with acupuncture leading at 62.6%, followed by cupping (60.2%), moxibustion (53.1%), and Tuina/massage (47.9%). About half of the evaluated items showed poor reporting (compliance rate < 65%). Notably, international journals demonstrated significantly higher reporting quality than Chinese journals (P < 0.05). Although acupuncture trials had relatively higher compliance rates, deficiencies persist in reporting non-pharmacological therapies of Chinese medicine, particularly in areas like treatment environment details and provider background information.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	798-813
Number of pages	16
Journal	Frontiers of Medicine
Volume	18
Issue number	5
Early online date	8 Aug 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4
Publication status	Published - Oct 2024

Scopus Subject Areas

General Medicine

User-Defined Keywords

CONSOR
Chinese medicine
Reporting guideline
STRICTA
STRICTOM
STRICTOC
STRICTOTM

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4

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Zhang, X., Li, H., Tan, H., Wang, N., Cheng, C. W., Wang, J., Shi, D., Zhang, L., Liu, Y., Wang, Y., Luo, S., Lin, Y., Hu, L., Zhang, X., Li, J., Han, F., Wang, P., Lu, A., & Bian, Z. (2024). Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine. Frontiers of Medicine, 18(5), 798-813. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4

@article{6c60ddbcf9594d498125fda0a0ca20bd,

title = "Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine",

abstract = "With the successive release of the CONSORT extensions for acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and Tuina/massage, this review aims to assess the reporting characteristics and quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on these specific guidelines. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching multiple databases, including Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R), All EBM Reviews, AMED, CNKI, VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, and Wanfang Data, for publications from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Two reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of the records, extracted predetermined information, and assessed the reporting based on the STRICTA, STRICTOM, STRICTOC, and STRICTOTM checklists. Among the included 387 studies (acupuncture, 213; Tuina/massage, 85; moxibustion, 73; cupping, 16), the overall reporting compliance averaged 56.0%, with acupuncture leading at 62.6%, followed by cupping (60.2%), moxibustion (53.1%), and Tuina/massage (47.9%). About half of the evaluated items showed poor reporting (compliance rate < 65%). Notably, international journals demonstrated significantly higher reporting quality than Chinese journals (P < 0.05). Although acupuncture trials had relatively higher compliance rates, deficiencies persist in reporting non-pharmacological therapies of Chinese medicine, particularly in areas like treatment environment details and provider background information.",

keywords = "CONSOR, Chinese medicine, Reporting guideline, STRICTA, STRICTOM, STRICTOC, STRICTOTM",

author = "Xuan Zhang and Han Li and Hanzhi Tan and Nana Wang and Cheng, {Chung Wah} and Juan Wang and Dongni Shi and Lin Zhang and Yumeng Liu and Yao Wang and Shufeng Luo and Yaxin Lin and Lihan Hu and Xuanqi Zhang and Ji Li and Fei Han and Ping Wang and Aiping Lu and Zhaoxiang Bian",

note = "The authors thank all the financial supports from Chinese Medicine Development Fund (Nos. 20B2/027A and 23B2-027A_R1), Hong Kong; Center for Evidence Based Traditional Chinese Medicine (CCEBTM, No. 2020YJSZX-5); National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81704198); Donation Funding of Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute; and Health@InnoHK Initiative Fund of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (No. ITC RC/IHK/4/7). The funders had no role in the design of study, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, nor in the writing of the manuscript.",

year = "2024",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4",

language = "English",

volume = "18",

pages = "798--813",

journal = "Frontiers of Medicine",

issn = "2095-0217",

publisher = "Springer",

number = "5",

}

Zhang, X, Li, H, Tan, H, Wang, N, Cheng, CW, Wang, J, Shi, D, Zhang, L, Liu, Y, Wang, Y, Luo, S, Lin, Y, Hu, L, Zhang, X, Li, J, Han, F, Wang, P, Lu, A & Bian, Z 2024, 'Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine', Frontiers of Medicine, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 798-813. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4

TY - JOUR

T1 - Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine

AU - Zhang, Xuan

AU - Li, Han

AU - Tan, Hanzhi

AU - Wang, Nana

AU - Cheng, Chung Wah

AU - Wang, Juan

AU - Shi, Dongni

AU - Zhang, Lin

AU - Liu, Yumeng

AU - Wang, Yao

AU - Luo, Shufeng

AU - Lin, Yaxin

AU - Hu, Lihan

AU - Zhang, Xuanqi

AU - Li, Ji

AU - Han, Fei

AU - Wang, Ping

AU - Lu, Aiping

AU - Bian, Zhaoxiang

N1 - The authors thank all the financial supports from Chinese Medicine Development Fund (Nos. 20B2/027A and 23B2-027A_R1), Hong Kong; Center for Evidence Based Traditional Chinese Medicine (CCEBTM, No. 2020YJSZX-5); National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81704198); Donation Funding of Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute; and Health@InnoHK Initiative Fund of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (No. ITC RC/IHK/4/7). The funders had no role in the design of study, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, nor in the writing of the manuscript.

PY - 2024/10

Y1 - 2024/10

N2 - With the successive release of the CONSORT extensions for acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and Tuina/massage, this review aims to assess the reporting characteristics and quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on these specific guidelines. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching multiple databases, including Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R), All EBM Reviews, AMED, CNKI, VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, and Wanfang Data, for publications from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Two reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of the records, extracted predetermined information, and assessed the reporting based on the STRICTA, STRICTOM, STRICTOC, and STRICTOTM checklists. Among the included 387 studies (acupuncture, 213; Tuina/massage, 85; moxibustion, 73; cupping, 16), the overall reporting compliance averaged 56.0%, with acupuncture leading at 62.6%, followed by cupping (60.2%), moxibustion (53.1%), and Tuina/massage (47.9%). About half of the evaluated items showed poor reporting (compliance rate < 65%). Notably, international journals demonstrated significantly higher reporting quality than Chinese journals (P < 0.05). Although acupuncture trials had relatively higher compliance rates, deficiencies persist in reporting non-pharmacological therapies of Chinese medicine, particularly in areas like treatment environment details and provider background information.

AB - With the successive release of the CONSORT extensions for acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and Tuina/massage, this review aims to assess the reporting characteristics and quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on these specific guidelines. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching multiple databases, including Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R), All EBM Reviews, AMED, CNKI, VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, and Wanfang Data, for publications from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Two reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of the records, extracted predetermined information, and assessed the reporting based on the STRICTA, STRICTOM, STRICTOC, and STRICTOTM checklists. Among the included 387 studies (acupuncture, 213; Tuina/massage, 85; moxibustion, 73; cupping, 16), the overall reporting compliance averaged 56.0%, with acupuncture leading at 62.6%, followed by cupping (60.2%), moxibustion (53.1%), and Tuina/massage (47.9%). About half of the evaluated items showed poor reporting (compliance rate < 65%). Notably, international journals demonstrated significantly higher reporting quality than Chinese journals (P < 0.05). Although acupuncture trials had relatively higher compliance rates, deficiencies persist in reporting non-pharmacological therapies of Chinese medicine, particularly in areas like treatment environment details and provider background information.

KW - CONSOR

KW - Chinese medicine

KW - Reporting guideline

KW - STRICTA

KW - STRICTOM

KW - STRICTOC

KW - STRICTOTM

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U2 - 10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4

DO - 10.1007/s11684-024-1084-4

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2095-0217

VL - 18

SP - 798

EP - 813

JO - Frontiers of Medicine

JF - Frontiers of Medicine

IS - 5

ER -

Suboptimal reporting of randomized controlled trials on non-pharmacological therapies in Chinese medicine

Abstract

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