Review Article

The Characteristics of TCM Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review of ClinicalTrials.gov

Table 2

Trial design of TCM interventional studies.

ParameterNumber/total number (%)
All Trials Oct 2000–Sep 2005 Oct 2005–Sep 2010 Oct 2010–Sep 2015

Type of intervention, N
 Drug439/1270 (34.6)20/95 (21.1)122/396 (30.8)297/779 (38.1)
 Procedure/Device657/1270 (51.7)58/95 (61.1)223/396 (56.3)376/779 (48.3)
 Behavioral145/1270 (11.4)15/95 (15.8)43/396 (10.9)87/779 (11.2)
 Other intervention29/1270 (2.3)2/95 (2.1)8/396 (2.0)19/779 (2.4)
Enrollment, N
Median (interquartile range)90.0 (45.0–200.0)90.0 (45.0–140.0)80.0 (40.0–166.0)96.0 (50.0–216.0)
 1–100708/1270 (55.7)47/95 (49.5)239/396 (60.4)422/779 (54.2)
 101–500445/1270 (35.0)24/95 (25.3)129/396 (32.6)292/779 (37.5)
 501–100059/1270 (4.6)4/95 (4.2)14/396 (3.5)41/779 (5.3)
 >100031/1270 (2.4)010/396 (2.5)21/779 (2.7)
 Missing27/1270 (2.1)20/95 (21.1)4/396 (1.0)3/779 (0.4)
Allocation, N
 Randomized1099/1270 (86.5)80/95 (84.2)344/396 (86.9)675/779 (86.6)
 Nonrandomized69/1270 (5.4)6/95 (6.3)25/396 (6.3)38/779 (4.9)
 Missing102/1270 (8.0)9/95 (9.5)27/396 (6.8)66/779 (8.5)
Masking/blinding
 Open206/1270 (16.2)17/95 (17.9)72/396 (18.2)117/779 (15.0)
 Single-blind20/1270 (1.6)1/95 (1.1)6/396 (1.5)13/779 (1.7)
 Double-blind1044/1270 (82.2)77/95 (81.1)318/396 (80.3)649/779 (83.3)
Number of arms, N
 1132/1270 (10.4)2/95 (2.1)52/396 (13.1)78/779 (10.0)
 2719/1270 (56.6)10/95 (10.5)207/396 (52.3)502/779 (64.4)
 3226/1270 (17.8)7/95 (7.4)73/396 (18.4)146/779 (18.7)
 458/1270 (4.6)2/95 (2.1)13/396 (3.3)43/779 (5.5)
 ≥515/1270 (1.2)08/396 (2.0)7/779 (0.9)
 Missing120/1270 (9.4)74/95 (77.9)43/396 (10.9)3/779 (0.4)
Comparator, N
 Experimental1116/1270 (87.9)20/95 (21.1)332/396 (83.8)778/779 (99.9)
 Active comparator627/1270 (49.4)11/95 (11.6)189/396 (47.7)427/779 (54.8)
 Placebo comparator319/1270 (25.1)10/95 (10.5)109/396 (27.5)200/779 (25.7)
 Sham comparator198/1270 (15.6)7/95 (7.4)65/396 (16.4)126/779 (16.2)
 No intervention197/1270 (15.5)2/95 (2.1)52/396 (13.1)143/779 (18.4)
 Other71/1270 (5.6)1/95 (1.1)20/396 (5.1)50/779 (6.4)
 Missing140/1270 (11.0)75/95 (78.9)64/396 (16.2)1/779 (0.1)