• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this systematic review is to confirm whether Gwibitang is beneficial in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Methods : Clinical trials were searched from databases including Pubmed, Embase, Central Cochrane, CNKI, Wanfang, CQVIP, CiNii, OASIS, Koreamed, and NDSL. The eligible study design was limited into randomized controlled trial, quasi-randomized controlled trial and controlled clinical trial. The outcomes included general effectiveness as nominal scale, and fatigue severity, insomnia severity and quality of life as interval or ratio scale. The meta-analysis and assessment of risk of bias was performed based on the data extracted from the selected trials. Results : The results of eight randomized controlled trials (n=596) were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the synthesis showed Gwibitang is beneficial substantially for relieving and managing the general symptoms, and its heterogeneity was not in important level (RR 0.26 [95% CI 0.17, 0.39], Z=6.47, P<0.00001, I²=0%). Gwibitang was beneficial for alleviating fatigue (SMD -0.78 [95% CI -1.27, -0.30], Z=3.17, P=0.002), but its certainty was low. In case of insomnia, too few trials had been found and their risk of bias was substantial, so no conclusions had been brought to. Conclusions : We found an evidence that Gwibitang could be beneficial for managing and alleviating main symptoms in CFS patients.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2012

Objectives : This study aims to review randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for shoulder pain according to Jadad Scale and revised STRICTA. Methods : Seven electronic databases including PUBMED, SCOPUS, RISS were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) of acupuncture for shoulder pain. Results : 16 RCTs were included: 14 were published in English and 2 were published in Korean. According to Jadad scale, 15 RCTs had high quality. However, most of the studies could not meet the double blindness criteria. All RCTs meet 12.9 items on average in STRICTA. Conclusions : This systematic review shows four conclusions as follows. Traditional Chinese Medicine is often used in style of acupuncture. Spots of LI15, TE14, GB21 and LI11, stainless steel needle($0.3mm{\times}40mm$), 20 retention time, manual stimulation, $Deqi$, and 2 times a week treatment (total 12) are often used. Double-blinded clinical trials needs to be conducted. It is controversial to use minimal acupunctures on controlled groups of RCTs on acupuncture for shoulder pain. Description about practitioner's background needs clarifying.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2012

Objective: This study evaluated and compared the adherence to the CONSORT for quality of reports on the randomized controlled trials (RCT) abstracts by four major Korean Science Citation Index (SCI) journals and The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Methods: A descriptive analysis of published RCT abstracts in Korean SCI journals and NEJM from 2007/01 to 2011/06 was conducted by two reviewers, independently extracting data from a PubMed search. A modification of CONSORT for abstract was used including 16 checklist items. Reporting of checklist items for individual group was conducted to compare adherence patterns between two groups. Results: We identified the potential 57 RCT abstracts from Korean SCI and 50 from NEJM meeting our inclusion criteria; among them, three abstracts from Korean SCI and one from NEJM were excluded. Among total 16 checklist items based on CONSORT statement, Korean SCI journals and NEJM were statistically equivalent in 4 items; Korean journals were better in three items and NEJM were in nine. The methodological quality domains were inadequately reported in both journals: allocation concealment about 1.9% and 4.0%, and blinding 44.4% and 40.8%. In general, The CONSORT adherence of NEJM was better than that of Korean SCI in the method and result domain (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The quality of NEJM reporting of RCT abstracts was better than that of Korean SCI, in general. This study on adherence of RCT reports from Korean SCI journals and NEJM abstracts to the CONSORT statement reveals that there is a need for improvement, especially Korean SCI. Further investigation on the quality of RCT reports and ways to improve reporting quality is required.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.233-240
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• 2020

This review aimed to compare the effectiveness of Korean medicine (KM) with Korean-Western integrative medicine (KWIM) at treating Bell's palsy. A literature search of several databases for relevant randomized controlled trials was performed. Six studies that compared KM with KWIM to treat Bell's palsy were included in this review. Acupuncture and steroids were the most commonly used treatments in KWIM. A comparison of the effectiveness of KW with KWIM did not produce consistent results. Both KM and KWIM were useful intreating Bell's palsy. KWIM was more effective than KM when the Western medicine was a steroid and was given in the early stages of treatment. However, these findings are limited due to the low quality and number of included studies. KM and KWIM are both effective in Bell's palsy, and KWIM is more effective than KM. However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials are required.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.25-44
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• 2008

Objectives: Through using of the strong research method like a Randomized Controlled Trial: RCT, we have to heighten quality of Medical Education study. I'd like to introduce "CONSORT", which stands for Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials. Contents: Preventive Service Task Force(200l) in USA proposed Levels of evidence for enlarging evidence-based Practice: EBP. And the CONSORT was introduced, which encompasses various initiatives developed by the CONSORT Group to alleviate the problems arising from inadequate reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). the CONSORT has 13 guides like these: 1. How participants were allocated to interventions 2. Scientific background and explanation of rationale 3. Eligibility criteria for participants. The settings and locations where the data were collected. 4. Precise details of the interventions intended for each group and how and when they were actually administered 5. Specific objectives and hypotheses 6. Clearly defined primary and secondary outcome measures, When applicable. any methods to enhance the quality of measurements (e.g., multiple observations, training of assessors) 7. How sample size was determined. When applicable, explanation of any interim analyses and stopping rules 8. Method used to generate the random allocation sequence, Details of any restriction [of randomization] 9. Method used to implement the random allocation sequence 10. Who generated the allocation sequence, who enrolled participants. and who assigned participants to their groups 11. Whether or not participants, those administering the interventions, and those assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment. If done, how the success of blinding was evaluated 12. Statistical methods used to compare groups for primary outcome(s), Methods for additional analyses, such as subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses 13. Flow of participants through each stage (a diagram is strongly recommended) Specifically, for each group report the numbers of participants randomly assigned. receiving intended treatment, completing the study protocol. and analyzed for the primary outcome. Results and Conclusion: Randomized Controlled Trial: RCT guided of CONSORT will contribute to do stronger evidence-based medical studies.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.85-93
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• 2020

This study is to examine the randomized controlled trials abroad studies on ICT-based convergence studies in the elderly, and to investigate the types and effects of ICT-based interventions. Eight studies that meet the selection criteria were selected from 326 studies identified by three databases and hand-searching. As a result of this study, the most commonly used ICT were the three internet, followed by two tablets and mobile phones, one twoway videoconferencing, one Kinect, one robot, and one Blood Glucose Monitoring System. These results could be used for ICT-based convergence studies in Korea, and further studies should be conducted with higher quality studies such as randomized controlled trials.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.37-49
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• 2022

Objectives The purpose of this study is to present evidence by analyzing the research trends in acupuncture treatment in the last 10 years for thromboangiitis obliterans. Methods Randomized controlled trials about acupuncture on thromboangiitis obliterans were searched China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), ScienceON, Koreanstudies Information Service System (KISS) and Research Information Sharing Service (RISS) from January 1, 2011 to November 13, 2021. Only randomized controlled trials were selected and we assessed the risk of bias (RoB) according to the revised Cochrane RoB2 criteria. Results A total of 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected in this review and all were conducted in China. A total of 326 participants were in 5 RCTs. SP10, ST36, GB34 was the most commonly used treatment point. There were four types of acupuncture used: manual acupuncture, embedding acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, electroacupuncture. The most commonly used indicator for evaluation was the total efficacy rate, and all five studies were significantly higher. Conclusions All selected studies showed the group treated with acupuncture treatments on thromboangiitis obliterans were statistically more effective than the control group. However, the number of studies is too small and the interpretation of the results is limited due to the inclusion of subjective evaluation. So more objective and systematic studies should be conducted continuously.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 2022

This study aimed to examine the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome by reviewing published randomized controlled trials. Among the 186 studies retrieved from 7 online databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, CNKI, NDSL, RISS, OASIS, KMbase) on October 29, 2021, 4 studies were selected according to the inclusion, exclusion criteria, and were evaluated using risk of bias. Control groups for electroacupuncture were wearing a splint at night, traditional acupuncture, and medication. Methods such as total effective, functional status scale, symptom severity scale, electromyography, tip pinch strength, visual analogue scale, numeric rating scale, and ultrasound were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Electroacupuncture was reported to have significant treatment results compared with the control group in methods such as total effectiveness, electromyography, and tip pinch strength. However, the quality of the studies (using risk of bias) does not allow reliable conclusions to be made. Many high quality (low risk of bias) randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the efficacy of electroacupuncture treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.15-23
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the quantity and quality of randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) published in the journal of Korean Society of Chuna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves (KSCMSN). Methods: All relevant RCTs were selected and extracted. Data extract of RCTs from all the articles published in the jounal of KSCMSN up to now, quantity assessment was made on the study design, sample size, intervention, control group and medical condition. of the consolidated standards of reporting trials (CONSORT) check list. Assessment was performed by 2 independent reviewers and disagreement was discussed based on concensus. Results: Among the 276 articles, 10 RCTs were published. 1st articles were published in 2003 and half of RCTs were published in 2011. All RCTs were parallel 2-arm designed. Average sample size was 29.2 per study and 14.6 per arm. Main intervention was consisted as acupuncture 40%, pharmacopuncture 30% and Chuna 30%. Average of adequacy of CONSORT check list was 10.3% and overall reports were insufficient. Conclusions: Though RCTs published in jounal of KSCMSN were increasing, the quality remains low. KSCMSN should make a effort to follow the CONSORT statement and improve the quantity and quality of studies.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.147-158
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review the recent research trends of evidence based medicine, especially human randomized controlled trials on acupuncture. Methods : The articles were collected by retrieving the database of Pubmed and Journal of Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Society. The retrieving period was from October 2003 to September 2008, and the search term was 'acupuncture'. The articles were classified according to their publication journals, countries, publication years, targeted diseases, types of acupuncture and types of control. Results : In total, 558 articles in Pubmed and 35 articles in Journal of Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Society were searched. The number of articles on acupuncture research has increased with higher rate since 2000, but the Qualitative development has not achieved the same amplitude. Studies in Korea were insufficient both in Qualitative and Quantitative aspects. In countries, China had the most papers, and in targeted diseases, pain diseases were most dominant. In the types of acupuncture, classical acupuncture, and in the types of control, conventional western treatment showed the highest frequency. Conclusions: We need to do many-sided and more high Quality researches on acupuncture. For that, well-designed randornized trials are absolutely necessary.