Placebo setting in trials of traditional Chinese medicine nursing techniques: a systematic critical review1
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In the clinical research field of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) nursing techniques, there are an increasing number of randomized controlled trial (RCTs) involving placebo control settings, but the quality of literature reports remains unclear. This paper aims to assess the reporting quality of placebo-controlled RCTs focusing on TCM nursing techniques. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Database, Chongqing Weipu (VIP), and China Biology Medicine (CBM) from inception to December 3, 2023. The search included RCTs with a placebo control group related to clinical studies on TCM nursing techniques. The Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) and Template for Intervention Description and Replication-Placebo (TIDieR-Placebo) criteria were employed to assess the standardization of literature reporting. RESULTS: A total of 39 papers were included, covering 15 TCM nursing techniques with a placebo control group designed for the treatment. Common placebo controls included “fake application of real points,“"real application of fake points,” and changes in the medium. The CONSORT evaluation revealed reporting rates of less than 20% for entries 3b, 6b, 11b, 12b, 14b, 16, 17b, and 18. In the TIDieR-Placebo evaluation, the reporting rates of entries 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 13 were all below 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The current literature…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- A Survey on Knowledge Graphs: Representation, Acquisition, and Applications
- Toxicity of nanomaterials
- The Human Gene Mutation Database: towards a comprehensive repository of inherited mutation data for medical research, genetic diagnosis and next-generation sequencing studies
- Halogen bonding (X‐bonding): A biological perspective
- Biofilm formation at the air–liquid interface by the Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 wrinkly spreader requires an acetylated form of cellulose
- Opioid Activation of Toll-Like Receptor 4 Contributes to Drug Reinforcement
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.