An investigation into the reliability of Chinese medicine diagnosis according to Eight Guiding Principles and Zang-Fu Theory in Australians with hypercholesterolemia.
BACKGROUND
Chinese medicine distinguishes itself from Western medicine in the differentiation of diseases according to underlying patterns of disharmony, or Chinese medicine (CM) syndromes. CM has its own clinical endpoints that are used as evidence of change in the body. Yet, relatively little is known about the reliability of CM diagnostic techniques, the final diagnosis of a CM syndrome, or the organizing principles used to reach a CM diagnosis such as the Eight Guiding Principles. Information about reliability of CM diagnosis has important implications for clinical practice and research, particularly if CM diagnostic variables or CM syndromes are to be incorporated into study designs.


METHODS
An inter-rater reliability study was conducted with three CM practitioners to investigate the reproducibility of CM diagnosis according to the Eight Guiding Principles and Zang-Fu Theory. Forty-five (45) adults with mild hypercholesterolemia but who were otherwise healthy participated in the study.


RESULTS
Our results suggest that there is a reasonably good level of agreement between at least two practitioners on the dimensions of the Eight Guiding Principles. Level of agreement between at least two practitioners on CM syndrome diagnosis according to Zang-Fu Theory was very good for one syndrome only, that of Spleen qi deficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
Further investigations are needed into the reliability of the CM diagnostic processes from the initial stage of data collection to the final CM syndrome diagnosis.
O'Brien
Kylie A
KA
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. kylie.obrien@vu.edu.au
Abbas
Estelle
E
Zhang
Jiansheng
J
Guo
Zhi-Xin
ZX
Luo
Ruizhi
R
Bensoussan
Alan
A
Komesaroff
Paul A
PA
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D014739:Victoria; D016711:Yang Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016710:Yin Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis*