Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33478105›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2021

The Role of Research in Guiding Treatment for Women's Health: A Qualitative Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncturists.

Mike Armour, Debra Betts, Kate Roberts, Susanne Armour, Caroline A Smith

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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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

5 authors.

Mike ArmourNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2517, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7539-9851
Debra BettsNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2517, Australia.
Kate RobertsNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2517, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8217-3516
Susanne ArmourNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2517, Australia.
Caroline A SmithNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2517, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7828-0597

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSurveys of acupuncture practitioners worldwide have shown an increase in the use of acupuncture to treat women's health conditions over the last ten years. Published studies have explored the effectiveness of acupuncture for various conditions such as period pain, fertility, and labor induction. However, it is unclear what role, if any, peer-reviewed research plays in guiding practice.

methodsAcupuncturists with a significant women's health caseload were interviewed online in three small groups to explore factors that contribute to acupuncturists' clinical decision made around treatment approaches and research.

resultsEleven practitioners participated in the focus groups. The overarching theme that emerged was one of 'Not mainstream but a stream.' This captured two themes relating to acupuncture as a distinct practice: 'working with what you've got' as well as 'finding the right lens', illustrating practitioners' perception of research needing to be more relevant to clinical practice.

conclusionsAcupuncture practitioners treating women's health conditions reported a disconnect between their clinical practice and the design of clinical trials, predominantly due to what they perceived as a lack of individualization of treatment. Case histories were popular as a learning tool and could be used to support increasing research literacy.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyMedicine, Chinese TraditionalFemaleHumansQualitative ResearchSurveys and QuestionnairesWomen's Healthacupuncturecase reportsChinese medicineclinical trialswomen’s health

Identifiers

PMID33478105
PMCPMC7835913

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.