Table 4.
The reporting number and percentage for each item of STRICTA 2010 checklist of information
| Items | Detail | 24 acupuncture trials | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of RCTs | Percent (%) | ||
| 1. Acupuncture rationale | 1a) Style of acupuncture | 23 | 95.8 |
| 1b) Reasoning for treatment provided, based on historical context, literature sources, and/or consensus methods, with references where appropriate | 19 | 79.2 | |
| 1c) Extent to which treatment was varied | 3 | 12.5 | |
| Total section (average) | 15 | 62.5 | |
| 2. Details of needling | 2a) Number of needle insertions per subject per session (mean and range where relevant) | 11 | 45.8 |
| 2b) Names (or location if no standard name) of points used (uni/bilateral) | 23 | 95.8 | |
| 2c) Depth of insertion, based on a specified unit of measurement, or on a particular tissue level | 15 | 62.5 | |
| 2d) Response sought | 4 | 16.7 | |
| 2e) Needle stimulation | 15 | 62.5 | |
| 2f) Needle retention time | 19 | 79.2 | |
| 2g) Needle type | 21 | 87.5 | |
| Total section (average) | 15.4 | 64.3 | |
| 3. Treatment regimen | 3a) Number of treatment sessions | 13 | 54.2 |
| 3b) Frequency and duration of treatment sessions | 19 | 79.2 | |
| Total section (average) | 16 | 66.7 | |
| 4. Other components of treatment | 4a) Details of other interventions administered to the acupuncture group (for example, moxibustion, cupping, herbs, exercises, lifestyle advice) | 17 | 70.8 |
| 4b) Setting and context of treatment, including instructions to practitioners, and information and explanations to patients | 6 | 25.0 | |
| Total section (average) | 11.5 | 47.9 | |
| 5. Practitioner background | 5) Description of participating acupuncturists (qualification or professional affiliation, years in acupuncture practice, other relevant experience) | 14 | 58.3 |
| Total section (average) | 14 | 58.3 | |
| 6. Control or comparator interventions | 6a) Rationale for the control or comparator in the context of the research question, with sources that justify this choice | 10 | 41.7 |
| 6b) Precise description of the control or comparator. If sham acupuncture or any other type of acupuncture-like control is used, provide details as for items 1 to 3 above. | 23 | 95.8 | |
| Total section (average) | 16.5 | 68.8 | |
| Total | 10.6 | 62.5 | |
STRICTA: Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture.
This checklist is designed to replace CONSORT 2010’s item 5 when reporting an acupuncture trial.
Values are presented as number of reported RCTs divided by the total number of eligible RCTs.