Table 3 Distribution of the Strength of Recommendation and Level of Evidence among TCM Guidelines
From: A critical review to grading systems and recommendations of traditional Chinese medicine guidelines
Subgroups | No of recommendations | Strength of Recommendation, No. (%) | Level of Evidence, No. (%) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | II | UG | A | B | C | D | ||
Year of publication | ||||||||
2003–2007 | 82 | 11 (13.4) | 45 (54.9) | 26 (31.7) | 9 (11.0) | 30 (36.6) | 21 (25.6) | 22 (26.8) |
2008–2012 | 984 | 68 (6.9) | 776 (78.9) | 140 (14.2) | 101 (10.3) | 228 (23.2) | 341 (34.7) | 314 (31.9) |
2013–2016 | 100 | 5 (5.0) | 78 (78.0) | 17 (17.0) | 11 (11.0) | 25 (25.0) | 41 (41.0) | 23 (23.0) |
2017–2018 | 118 | 16 (13.6) | 79 (66.9) | 23 (19.5) | 21 (17.8) | 42 (35.6) | 26 (22.0) | 29 (24.6) |
Total | 1284 | 100 (7.8) | 978 (76.2) | 206 (16.0) | 142 (11.1) | 325 (25.3) | 429 (33.4) | 388 (30.2) |
Type of recommendation | ||||||||
Treatment | 905 | 73 (8.0) | 678 (75.0) | 154 (17.0) | 97 (10.7) | 224 (24.8) | 267 (29.5) | 317 (35.0) |
Diagnosis | 389 | 28 (7.2) | 309 (79.4) | 52 (13.4) | 45 (11.6) | 101 (26.0) | 162 (41.6) | 81 (20.8) |
Total | 1284 | 100 (7.8) | 978 (76.2) | 206 (16.0) | 142 (11.1) | 325 (25.3) | 429 (33.4) | 388 (30.2) |
Type of publication | ||||||||
CSCD indexed journal | 364 | 28 (7.7) | 280 (77.1) | 55 (15.2) | 43 (11.8) | 85 (23.1) | 117 (32.2) | 119 (32.8) |
Non-CSCD indexed journal | 680 | 62 (9.1) | 511 (75.1) | 107 (15.7) | 76 (11.2) | 175 (25.7) | 221 (32.5) | 208 (30.6) |
Book | 250 | 10 (4.0) | 196 (78.4) | 44 (17.6) | 23 (9.2) | 66 (26.4) | 91 (36.4) | 70 (28.0) |
Total | 1284 | 100 (7.8) | 978 (76.2) | 206 (16.0) | 142 (11.1) | 325 (25.3) | 429 (33.4) | 388 (30.2) |
Source of funding | ||||||||
Any funding | 924 | 74 (7.9) | 675 (73.1) | 175 (19.0) | 105 (11.4) | 257 (27.8) | 334 (36.2) | 228 (24.6) |
Not reported | 370 | 27 (7.3) | 312 (84.3) | 31 (8.4) | 37 (10.0) | 68 (18.4) | 95 (25.7) | 170 (45.9) |
Total | 1284 | 100 (7.8) | 978 (76.2) | 206 (16.0) | 142 (11.1) | 325 (25.3) | 429 (33.4) | 388 (30.2) |