Preferred reporting items for network meta-analysis of acupuncture-related therapies: the PRINMA-A statement_Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Authors：

XU Meng ^1,2,3 , CUI Lu ^1,2,3 , LIANG Shanshan ^1,2,3 , NIAN Tao ^1,2,3 , HU Xiaoye ^1,2,3 , HUANG Jiayi ^1,2,3 , WU Yanan ^2,3 , YAN Xinyu ⁴ , WANG Ziyi ^1,2,3 , WANG Yan ^1,2,3 , XUE Jianjun ⁵ ,  YANG Kehu ^1,2,3 ,  LI Xiuxia ^1,2,3

1. Health Technology Assessment Center /Evidence Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
2. Evidence Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
3. Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
4. Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Beijing 100700, P. R. China;
5. Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Centre, Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;

Corresponding?author：

YANG Kehu, Email: kehuyangebm2006@126.com; LI Xiuxia, Email: lixiuxia@lzu.edu.cn

Keywords：

Acupuncture; Network meta-analysis; Reporting guideline; Evidence-based research

DOI：

10.7507/1672-2531.202504040

Video：

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Abstract Full text Figures/Tables Video References Cited by

Objective The aim of this study is to construct reporting standards for acupuncture network meta-analysis, providing guidance to enhance the quality of evidence reported in acupuncture therapy research. Methods A Delphi questionnaire was developed based on the preliminary research and literature findings, 20 experts were selected for correspondence to determine the final checklists of items, and then finalized the list of report items. Results A total of two rounds of Delphi questionnaires were made. The expert positivity coefficient (100%), the expert familiarity (0.80) and the expert authority (0.83) were the same in both rounds, the Kendall's coordination coefficients were 0.117 (P<0.001) and 0.332 (P<0.001), respectively, which ultimately led to the formation of the 7 fields of title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and other, including 23 specific items of the acupuncture-related therapies NMA standards. Conclusion The PRINMA-A statement will help to improve the reporting quality of evidence on acupuncture-related therapies, promote the dissemination and translation of evidence on acupuncture-related therapies.

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2.	Allen J, Mak SS, Begashaw M, et al. Use of acupuncture for adult health conditions, 2013 to 2021: a systematic review. JAMA Netw Open, 2022, 5(11): e2243665.
3.	MacPherson H, Vickers A, Bland M, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain and depression in primary care: a programme of research. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library, 2017.
4.	National Center for Complementary And Alternative Medicine. Acupuncture: in depth. 2014.
5.	中共中央國務院關于促進中醫藥傳承創新發展的意見. 中華人民共和國國務院公報, 2019, (31): 6-10.
6.	國家中醫藥管理局. 中醫藥標準化行動計劃(2024—2026年). 2024.
7.	Ifrim Chen F, Antochi AD, Barbilian AG. Acupuncture and the retrospect of its modern research. Rom J Morphol Embryol, 2019, 60(2): 411-418.
8.	陳璐, 范林鵑, 焦琮舒, 等. 近五年針灸治療纖維肌痛綜合征的作用機制研究進展. 中醫藥臨床雜志, 2024, 36(3): 583-587.
9.	王艷, 王子怡, 徐子涵, 等. 針刺療法網狀Meta分析報告規范關鍵問題研究. 中國循證醫學雜志, 2023, 23(12): 1442-1448.
10.	Wang X, Chen Y, Liu Y, et al. Reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of acupuncture: the PRISMA for acupuncture checklist. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2019, 19(1): 208.
11.	Yuan T, Xiong J, Wang X, et al. The quality of methodological and reporting in network meta-analysis of acupuncture and moxibustion: a cross-sectional survey. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2021, 2021: 2672173.
12.	Bae K, Shin IS. Critical evaluation of reporting quality of network meta-analyses assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture. Complement Ther Clin Pract, 2021, 45: 101459.
13.	Wang Y, Chen N, Guo K, et al. Reporting and methodological quality of acupuncture network meta-analyses could be improved: an evidence mapping. J Clin Epidemiol, 2023, 153: 1-12.
14.	Moher D, Schulz KF, Simera I, et al. Guidance for developers of health research reporting guidelines. PLoS Med, 2010, 7(2): e1000217.
15.	王艷, 劉文迪, 徐子涵, 等. 針刺療法研究證據報告規范的結構性分析. 中國循證醫學雜志, 2023, 23(12): 1449-1456.
16.	薛敏, 馬莎, 劉薇, 等. 基于德爾菲法的衛生監督效能評價指標體系權重研究—以上海衛生監督機構為例. 中國衛生監督雜志, 2014, 21(3): 212-218.
17.	Shang Z. Use of Delphi in health sciences research: a narrative review. Medicine (Baltimore), 2023, 102(7): e32829.
18.	Jamieson S. Likert scale. 2020.
19.	黃迪. 臨床路徑報告量表的制定. 蘭州: 蘭州大學, 2016.
20.	李慧珍, 宗星煜, 王晶亞, 等. 基于改良德爾菲法與優序圖法的中醫藥團體標準評價指標體系構建. 中國中醫基礎醫學雜志, 2023, 29(5): 775-780.
21.	何怡瀚, 許能貴, 張海波, 等. 針刺治療癌痛選穴研究: 基于現有證據和德爾菲法. 中國針灸, 2021, 41(10): 1161-1165.
22.	陳希, 蔡名敏, 陳紅, 等. 基于德爾菲法的臨床試驗質量控制協同度評價指標構建. 中國新藥與臨床雜志, 2023, 42(2): 123-127.
23.	李曉彥, 張茜, 蔣璐, 等. 基于德爾菲法的中醫藥臨床試驗知情同意質量評價問卷的條目篩選. 中藥新藥與臨床藥理, 2023, 34(3): 428-432.
24.	Li X, Dai Q, Shi Z, et al. Clinical efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in migraine treatment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Am J Chin Med, 2019, 47(8): 1755-1780.
25.	Dai L, Cheng CW, Tian R, et al. Standard protocol items for clinical trials with traditional Chinese medicine 2018: recommendations, explanation and elaboration (SPIRIT-TCM Extension 2018). Chin J Integr Med, 2019, 25(1): 71-79.
26.	鮑春齡, 東紅升, 周亮, 等. 東氏針灸治療中風癱瘓上海方案專家共識. 上海中醫藥雜志, 2024, 58(S1): 62-64.
27.	劉巍, 杜宇征, 孟祥剛, 等. 石學敏院士治療高血壓病捻轉補瀉手法淺析. 中國針灸, 2021, 41(10): 1135-1139.
28.	朱路文, 高維濱, 陳秋欣, 等. 中風后吞咽障礙頸項部針刺技術操作規范—中國康復醫學會針灸技術與康復專業委員會. 康復學報, 2025.
29.	Watt J, Tricco AC, Straus S, et al. Research techniques made simple: network meta-analysis. J Invest Dermatol, 2019, 139(1): 4-12.
30.	Ades AE, Welton NJ, Dias S, et al. Twenty years of network meta-analysis: continuing controversies and recent developments. Res Synth Methods, 2024, 15(5): 702-727.
31.	Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Kunz R, et al. GRADE guidelines: 7. Rating the quality of evidence--inconsistency. J Clin Epidemiol, 2011, 64(12): 1294-1302.
32.	Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Vist GE, et al. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. BMJ, 2008, 336(7650): 924-926.
33.	Izcovich A, Chu DK, Mustafa RA, et al. A guide and pragmatic considerations for applying GRADE to network meta-analysis. BMJ, 2023, 381: e074495.
34.	楊欣雨, 李旭豪, 王興鑫, 等. “針感”與臨床針刺療效的關系及其影響因素. 世界中醫藥, 2024, 19(11): 1664-1666, 1673.
35.	Infante-Rivard C, Cusson A. Reflection on modern methods: selection bias-a review of recent developments. Int J Epidemiol, 2018, 47(5): 1714-1722.
36.	He Y, Guo X, May BH, et al. Clinical evidence for association of acupuncture and acupressure with improved cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Oncol, 2020, 6(2): 271-278.
37.	Liu S, Wang Z, Su Y, et al. A neuroanatomical basis for electroacupuncture to drive the vagal-adrenal axis. Nature, 2021, 598(7882): 641-645.

1. World Health Organization. WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019. 2019.
2. Allen J, Mak SS, Begashaw M, et al. Use of acupuncture for adult health conditions, 2013 to 2021: a systematic review. JAMA Netw Open, 2022, 5(11): e2243665.
3. MacPherson H, Vickers A, Bland M, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain and depression in primary care: a programme of research. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library, 2017.
4. National Center for Complementary And Alternative Medicine. Acupuncture: in depth. 2014.
5. 中共中央國務院關于促進中醫藥傳承創新發展的意見. 中華人民共和國國務院公報, 2019, (31): 6-10.
6. 國家中醫藥管理局. 中醫藥標準化行動計劃(2024—2026年). 2024.
7. Ifrim Chen F, Antochi AD, Barbilian AG. Acupuncture and the retrospect of its modern research. Rom J Morphol Embryol, 2019, 60(2): 411-418.
8. 陳璐, 范林鵑, 焦琮舒, 等. 近五年針灸治療纖維肌痛綜合征的作用機制研究進展. 中醫藥臨床雜志, 2024, 36(3): 583-587.
9. 王艷, 王子怡, 徐子涵, 等. 針刺療法網狀Meta分析報告規范關鍵問題研究. 中國循證醫學雜志, 2023, 23(12): 1442-1448.
10. Wang X, Chen Y, Liu Y, et al. Reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of acupuncture: the PRISMA for acupuncture checklist. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2019, 19(1): 208.
11. Yuan T, Xiong J, Wang X, et al. The quality of methodological and reporting in network meta-analysis of acupuncture and moxibustion: a cross-sectional survey. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2021, 2021: 2672173.
12. Bae K, Shin IS. Critical evaluation of reporting quality of network meta-analyses assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture. Complement Ther Clin Pract, 2021, 45: 101459.
13. Wang Y, Chen N, Guo K, et al. Reporting and methodological quality of acupuncture network meta-analyses could be improved: an evidence mapping. J Clin Epidemiol, 2023, 153: 1-12.
14. Moher D, Schulz KF, Simera I, et al. Guidance for developers of health research reporting guidelines. PLoS Med, 2010, 7(2): e1000217.
15. 王艷, 劉文迪, 徐子涵, 等. 針刺療法研究證據報告規范的結構性分析. 中國循證醫學雜志, 2023, 23(12): 1449-1456.
16. 薛敏, 馬莎, 劉薇, 等. 基于德爾菲法的衛生監督效能評價指標體系權重研究—以上海衛生監督機構為例. 中國衛生監督雜志, 2014, 21(3): 212-218.
17. Shang Z. Use of Delphi in health sciences research: a narrative review. Medicine (Baltimore), 2023, 102(7): e32829.
18. Jamieson S. Likert scale. 2020.
19. 黃迪. 臨床路徑報告量表的制定. 蘭州: 蘭州大學, 2016.
20. 李慧珍, 宗星煜, 王晶亞, 等. 基于改良德爾菲法與優序圖法的中醫藥團體標準評價指標體系構建. 中國中醫基礎醫學雜志, 2023, 29(5): 775-780.
21. 何怡瀚, 許能貴, 張海波, 等. 針刺治療癌痛選穴研究: 基于現有證據和德爾菲法. 中國針灸, 2021, 41(10): 1161-1165.
22. 陳希, 蔡名敏, 陳紅, 等. 基于德爾菲法的臨床試驗質量控制協同度評價指標構建. 中國新藥與臨床雜志, 2023, 42(2): 123-127.
23. 李曉彥, 張茜, 蔣璐, 等. 基于德爾菲法的中醫藥臨床試驗知情同意質量評價問卷的條目篩選. 中藥新藥與臨床藥理, 2023, 34(3): 428-432.
24. Li X, Dai Q, Shi Z, et al. Clinical efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in migraine treatment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Am J Chin Med, 2019, 47(8): 1755-1780.
25. Dai L, Cheng CW, Tian R, et al. Standard protocol items for clinical trials with traditional Chinese medicine 2018: recommendations, explanation and elaboration (SPIRIT-TCM Extension 2018). Chin J Integr Med, 2019, 25(1): 71-79.
26. 鮑春齡, 東紅升, 周亮, 等. 東氏針灸治療中風癱瘓上海方案專家共識. 上海中醫藥雜志, 2024, 58(S1): 62-64.
27. 劉巍, 杜宇征, 孟祥剛, 等. 石學敏院士治療高血壓病捻轉補瀉手法淺析. 中國針灸, 2021, 41(10): 1135-1139.
28. 朱路文, 高維濱, 陳秋欣, 等. 中風后吞咽障礙頸項部針刺技術操作規范—中國康復醫學會針灸技術與康復專業委員會. 康復學報, 2025.
29. Watt J, Tricco AC, Straus S, et al. Research techniques made simple: network meta-analysis. J Invest Dermatol, 2019, 139(1): 4-12.
30. Ades AE, Welton NJ, Dias S, et al. Twenty years of network meta-analysis: continuing controversies and recent developments. Res Synth Methods, 2024, 15(5): 702-727.
31. Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Kunz R, et al. GRADE guidelines: 7. Rating the quality of evidence--inconsistency. J Clin Epidemiol, 2011, 64(12): 1294-1302.
32. Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Vist GE, et al. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. BMJ, 2008, 336(7650): 924-926.
33. Izcovich A, Chu DK, Mustafa RA, et al. A guide and pragmatic considerations for applying GRADE to network meta-analysis. BMJ, 2023, 381: e074495.
34. 楊欣雨, 李旭豪, 王興鑫, 等. “針感”與臨床針刺療效的關系及其影響因素. 世界中醫藥, 2024, 19(11): 1664-1666, 1673.
35. Infante-Rivard C, Cusson A. Reflection on modern methods: selection bias-a review of recent developments. Int J Epidemiol, 2018, 47(5): 1714-1722.
36. He Y, Guo X, May BH, et al. Clinical evidence for association of acupuncture and acupressure with improved cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Oncol, 2020, 6(2): 271-278.
37. Liu S, Wang Z, Su Y, et al. A neuroanatomical basis for electroacupuncture to drive the vagal-adrenal axis. Nature, 2021, 598(7882): 641-645.

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Latest ArticlesPreferred reporting items for network meta-analysis of acupuncture-related therapies: the PRINMA-A statement

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