Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32148542›Full record

ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2020

Evaluation of Reporting Quality in Randomised Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Acute Herpes Zoster by the CONSORT Statement and STRICTA Guidelines.

Guifeng Qian, Jingchun Zeng, Liming Lu, Wenya Pei, Kun Liu, Zhenke Luo, Yalin She, Pande Zhang, Guohua Lin

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Guifeng QianDepartment of Neurology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9204-4371
Jingchun ZengDepartment of Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.
Liming LuClinical Research and Data Center, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7821-4699
Wenya PeiThe First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8874-1759
Kun LiuThe First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.
Zhenke LuoThe First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1145-007X
Yalin SheThe First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.
Pande ZhangDepartment of Rehabilitation, The First People's Hospital of Foshan (Affiliated Foshan Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University), Foshan 528000, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6854-0546
Guohua LinDepartment of Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6656-7726
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CNSun Yat-sen University · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo explore the methods for improving the reporting quality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture through evaluating the reporting quality in RCTs of acupuncture for acute herpes zoster by the CONSORT statement and STRICTA guidelines.

methodsEnglish and Chinese databases were searched from database creation until October 2018 and updated to July 2019. The basic characteristics and methodological quality of the literatures included were evaluated based on the CONSORT statement and the STRICTA guidelines. Descriptive statistical analysis was used in this study. The agreement between the two researchers of all items was calculated by Cohen's kappa statistics.

resultsA total of 40 RCTs were included. Based on the CONSORT statement, items "Background," "Randomised" in the title or abstract," "Statistical methods," and "Outcomes and estimation" were good reporting, with positive rates >80%. However, the quality of reporting in items "Sample size," "Allocation concealment," "Implementation," "Blinding," "Flow chart," "Intent-to-treat analysis," "Ancillary analyses," and "Clinical Trials Register" was very poor, with positive rates <10%. Based on the STRICTA guidelines, good reporting existed in items "Acupuncture rational," "Points used," "Needle stimulation," "Needle retention time," "Course of treatment," "Control intervention," and "Treatment frequency," with positive ratings >80%. The reporting quality of items "Numbers of needles inserted," "Depth of insertion," "Responses elicited," and "Practitioner background" was lower, with positive rates <50%. The agreement of most items was judged as moderate, substantial, or good.

conclusionThe reporting quality of RCTs in acupuncture for acute HZ is generally inadequate. It is necessary that researchers and journal editors learn and raise the adoption of the CONSORT statement and STRICTA guidelines to enhance the reporting quality of the RCTs in acupuncture.

Identifiers

PMID32148542
PMCPMC7049440
OpenAlexW3008090769

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.