How to design high quality acupuncture trials—a consensus informed by evidence
Yuqing Zhang, Ruimin Jiao, Claudia M. Witt, Lixing Lao, Jianping Liu, Lehana Thabane, Karen J. Sherman, Mike Cummings, Dawn P. Richards, Eun-Kyung Anna Kim, Tae‐Hun Kim, Myeong Soo Lee, Michael E. Wechsler, Benno Brinkhaus, Jun J. Mao, Caroline Smith, Wei-Juan Gang, Baoyan Liu, Zhishun Liu, Yan Liu, Hui Zheng, Jiani Wu, Alonso Carrasco‐Labra, Mohit Bhandari, P.J. Devereaux, Xiang‐Hong Jing, Gordon Guyatt
Abstract
An international panel including patients, clinicians, researchers, acupuncture and surgery trialists, statisticians, and experts in clinical epidemiology and methodology have developed new guidance for randomised controlled trials in acupuncture. It addresses the most prevalent and critical concerns of current acupuncture trials and will help funding agencies, trial registers, and journal editors to evaluate the relevance, importance, and quality of submitted trial proposals and completed trials