Evaluation of Literature Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials on Wrist-ankle Acupuncture for Low-back Pain / 中国中医药信息杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the literature quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) for low-back pain in recent ten years; To analyze the existing problems in the clinical research;To provide corresponding improvement suggestions. Methods A computer-based retrieval was performed to search out the reports of RCTs on WAA for low-back pain from CNKI, Wanfang Data, CBM, Chongqing VIP, PubMed, and Cochrane Library was retrieved by computers. The search scope was January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2016. The 25 items in the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement and 6 items of the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) were consulted for assessing the literature quality of RCTs on WAA for low-back pain. Results 18 articles were included. There were many problems about literature of RCTs on WAA for low-back pain, mainly including that the type of test design was not clear, outcome indicators were incomplete, random method reports were not specific, accepted diagnostic criteria and efficacy criteria were not used, reporting interventions were incomplete. Conclusion Recently, literature quality of RCTs on WAA for low-back pain is low. It is suggested that CONSORT Statement and STRICTA should be taken into consideration in the conducting and reporting of RCTs on WAA for low-back pain, and the report quality of clinical research in this field should be improved.