Development of a dysmenorrhea quality of life scale based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:Dysmenorrhea is the common gynecological problem among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. This study aim to develop a dysmenorrhea Quality of Life (QoL) scale based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory.Methods:We conducted focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with TCM gynecologists and patients, and adapted items from previously published scales. We generated an initial pool of 41 items with 8 domains. Delphi method was used to item preliminary selection. Then, we administered the items to a sample of adolescent girls ( n=200), and the distribution of survey items, discrete trend, factor analysis, correlation coefficient, Cronbach’s α coefficient were used to select items. Results:After two rounds of Delphi, a total of thirty items were included in the dysmenorrhea QoL scale. The expert positive coefficient were 100% and 83.3% with high motivation. The authoritative coefficient were greater than 0.7, the results showing authoritative and reliable. The Kendall’s coefficient of concordance W was 0.333 ( χ2=128.271, P<0.001). In sample analysis, the items were deleted when they met more than two standards. The final scale retained 20 items, covering 8 dimensions. Conclusions:The methods for selection of dysmenorrhea QoL scale based on TCM theory were preferable. Given the paucity of research in this area, this new dysmenorrhea QoL scale may provide opportunities for the patient-reported outcome (PRO) evaluation in the field of TCM.

Health technology assessment in traditional Chinese medicine in China: current status, opportunities, and challenges / 《全球健康杂志（英文）》

Objectives:The widespread usage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the government's emphasis on TCM in China have created a positive macro-environment and great opportunities to develop and strengthen health technology assessment (HTA) in TCM.Over the past ten years,a series of policies have been issued by the government to promote the application of HTA and the development of TCM in China.This study reviews the concepts and characteristics of TCM,summarizes the current status of HTA in TCM,and analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by HTA development in TCM with respect to deepening of healthcare reforms.Methods:Literature review and website searches were used to acquire information regarding the basic theories of TCM and the current status,opportunities,and challenges for HTA in TCM.Results:The number of articles on HTA in TCM rose substantially,especially those published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI).With the optimistic policy environment and huge market demand for TCM,the development of HTA in TCM is expected to flourish in China.However,HTA in TCM also faces numerous challenges such as the absence of a clinical efficacy evaluation system for TCM and insufficient basic research evidence and qualified personnel.Conclusions:TCM has unique characteristic that distinguishes it from Western medicine.Currently,it is important to take all measures to address the existing main challenges and thereby take advantage of the present opportunities to develop and improve HTA in TCM.