SynthesisTrials2021
Dropouts in randomized clinical trials of Korean medicine interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Trials, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of the Yon PD App on the Management of Self-Care in People With Parkinson Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- Effects of Tongue-Strengthening Exercise on Tongue Strength Reserve and Detraining Effects among Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Cancer patients' willingness to trade time for health: factors that affect their decision.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Characteristics of exercise and rehabilitation intervention clinical trials registered with Clinical Research Information Service: a review.Journal of exercise rehabilitation · 2025Review
- Insufficient Evidence to RecommendNeuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2025Review
- Transcranial direct current stimulation for chronic headaches, a randomized, controlled trial.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Inadequate Evidence for Acupuncture as an Alternative or Adjunct to Antidepressants/Psychotherapy for Postpartum Depression: A Bayesian Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2024Review
- Neurological mechanism and treatment effects prediction of acupuncture on migraine without aura: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in neurology · 2022Article
- Neuroimaging signatures and a deep learning modeling for early diagnosing and predicting non-pharmacological therapy success for subclinical depression comorbid sleep disorders in college students.International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHPArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe dropout rate is an important determinant of outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and should be carefully controlled. This study explored the current dropout rate in studies of Korean medicine (KM) interventions by systematic evaluation of RCTs conducted in the past 10 years.
methodsThree clinical trial registries (Clinical Research Information Service, ClinicalTrials.gov, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) were searched to identify RCT protocols for KM interventions, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, or cupping, and studies of mixed interventions, registered in Korea from 2009 to 2019. The PubMed, Embase, and OASIS databases were searched for the full reports of these RCTs, including published journal articles and theses. Dropout rates and the reasons for dropping out were analyzed in each report. The risk of bias in each of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The risk difference for dropping out between the treatment and control groups was calculated with the 95% confidence interval in a random effects model.
resultsForty-nine published studies were included in the review. The median dropout rate was 10% in the treatment group (interquartile range 6.7%, 17.0%) and 14% in the control group (interquartile range 5.4%, 16.3%) and was highest in acupuncture studies (12%), followed by herbal medicine (10%), moxibustion (8%), and cupping (7%). Loss to follow-up was the most common reason for dropping out. The risk difference for dropping out between the intervention and control groups was estimated to be 0.01 (95% confidence interval - 0.02, 0.03) in KM intervention studies.
conclusionsThis review found no significant difference in the dropout rate between studies according to the type of KM intervention. We recommend allowance for a minimum dropout rate of 15% in future RCTs of KM interventions. REVIEW PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020141011.
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Registered trials
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.