Characteristics of the authors of acupuncture related Cochrane Systematic Reviews

Tags: Poster
Fei Y1, Chai Q1
1Beijing University of Chinese Meidicine, China

Background: Acupuncture is relatively well accepted in the world. Many Cochrane systematic reviews of acupuncture were published.

Objectives: To investigate the characteristics of the authors of acupuncture Cochrane systematic reviews.

Methods: Searching ‘acupuncture’ in ‘record title’ in Cochrane Library (January 2013) for published full Cochrane Reviews. Author information was abstracted and analyzed.

Results: 40 Cochrane Reviews were identified (1 was withdrawn), 39 reviews were included. They were published in 2008–2013. 39 health conditions, edited by 23 groups, were identified. 8 groups, including Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility group (5), Musculoskeletal group (4), Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care group (4), stroke group (3) etc, published 62% of the reviews. Authors from 13 countries contributed. The affiliation of contact authors were from China mainland (10), Australia (8), Hong Kong (6), United Kingdom (6), United States (4), Canada (3) and Germany (2). 18 (46%) reviews were written by international author groups. Authors of 25 (64%) reviews could not be identified to have acupuncture related education or practice background judged by the information provided in the reviews. 6 (15%) first authors published 15 (38%) reviews, with each of whom 2–4 reviews. Among them, 4 authors published 11 reviews for almost totally different health conditions with different Cochrane groups. 16 (41%) reviews included less than 5 studies each (6 reviews didn’t include any study). Only 2 of the 13 reviews that didn’t involve Chinese language reviewers searched Chinese databases. While 22/26 reviews (having Chinese language authors) searched Chinese databases.

Conclusions: Acupuncture systematic reviews were mainly written by authors from China (including Hong Kong), Australia, UK, US, Canada, Germany. Acupuncture education or practice background of the authors was not provided adequately in the reviews. The registering of the topics of systematic reviews of acupuncture should be in accordance with the clinical practice and research of acupuncture.