title: Methodology guideline for clinical studies investigating traditional Chinese medicine and integrative medicine: executive summary.
abstract: This guideline aims to provide a methodological guidance for clinical studies in TCM and integrative medicine in terms of study design, execution, and reporting. The commonly used methods including experimental and observational methods were introduced in this guideline such as randomized clinical trials, cohort study, case-control study, case series, and qualitative method which can be incorporated into above quantitative methods. The guideline can be used for the evaluation of therapeutic effect of TCM therapies or their combination with conventional therapy. TCM therapy refers to one of the followings or their combination: herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, Taichi/Qigong, and Guasha,Tuina (therapeutic massage). It is also suitable for research and development of ethnopharmaceuticals or folk medicine.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Bei San Huan Dong Lu 11, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China. Jianping l@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ke-Ji
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000068456:Clinical Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design