Reporting quality of Cochrane systematic reviews with Chinese herbal medicines

Table 3 Descriptive information of included SRs

Category	Descriptive characteristics	N (%)
Types of CHM interventions	Chinese single herb(s)	32 (29.4)
	CHM formula(s)	25 (22.9)
	Both single herbs and CHM formulas	50 (45.9)
	Not specific^a	2 (1.8)
Types of diseases^b	Diseases of the circulatory system	16 (14.7)
	Diseases of the genitourinary system	15 (13.8)
	Certain infectious and parasitic diseases	12 (11.0)
	Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases	10 (9.2)
	Diseases of the nervous system	9 (8.3)
	Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium	8 (7.3)
	Diseases of the respiratory system	7 (6.4)
	Diseases of the digestive system	6 (5.5)
	Mental and behavioral disorders	6 (5.5)
	Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue	6 (5.5)
	Neoplasms	6 (5.5)
	Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue	5 (4.6)
	Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes	2 (1.8)
	Diseases of the ear and mastoid process	1 (0.9)
Problem concerned^c	Treatment	104 (95.4)
	Prevention	3 (2.8)
	Both treatment and prevention	2 (1.8)
Review authors’ conclusion^d	Certainty of positive effect	3 (2.8)
	Uncertain but may be beneficial	32 (29.4)
	Unclear/ lack of evidence	71 (65.1)
	Certainty of negative effect	3 (2.8)

^aThe interventions were reported as Chinese medicine or traditional Chinese medicine, but did not specify either the single herb or formula used
^bAccording to International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) Version for 2010
^cProblem concerned refers to the objectives of included SRs
^dCertainty of positive effect—significant benefit found or at least one CHM intervention recommended; Uncertain but may be beneficial—the CHM interventions studied offer possible benefits but the current evidence is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions; unclear/lack of evidence—lack of reliable evidence to judge or evaluate; certainty of negative effect—no significant benefit found, or no CHM intervention recommended

ISSN: 2046-4053