title: [Evaluation on methodological problems in reports concerning quantitative analysis of syndrome differentiation of diabetes mellitus].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the quality of reports published in recent 10 years in China about quantitative analysis of syndrome differentiation for diabetes mellitus (DM) in order to explore the methodological problems in these reports and find possible solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main medical literature databases in China were searched. Thirty-one articles were included and evaluated by the principles of clinical epidemiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were many mistakes and deficiencies in these articles, such as clinical trial designs, diagnosis criteria for DM, standards of syndrome differentiation of DM, case inclusive and exclusive criteria, sample size and estimation, data comparability and statistical methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is necessary and important to improve the quality of reports concerning quantitative analysis of syndrome differentiation of DM in light of the principles of clinical epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Quanzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Quanzhou, Fujian Province 362000, China.
authors.forename: Bi-Cang
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qiu-Ying
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-Bin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ling-Xiang
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Neng-Jiang
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shu-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D011786:Quality Control; D012107:Research Design