Table 3 Characteristics of included articles (n = 1458)
Characteristics | N (%) |
|---|---|
Study center | |
 Single center | 1428 (97.94) |
 Multicenter | 22 (1.51) |
 Not reported | 8 (0.55) |
Journal type | |
 English journal, with impact factor 5–10 | 1 (0.07) |
 English journal, with impact factor 3–5 | 2 (0.14) |
 English journal, with impact factor < 3 | 3 (0.21) |
 Chinese core journal | 66 (4.53) |
 Chinese non-core journal | 1386 (95.06) |
Sample size | |
 > 300 | 6 (0.41) |
 101–300 | 295 (20.23) |
 51–100 | 1025 (70.30) |
 ≤ 50 | 132 (9.05) |
UC stages of trial participants | |
 Active | 368 (25.24) |
 Remission | 19 (1.30) |
 Both | 23 (1.58) |
 Not specified | 1048 (71.88) |
Number of groups | |
 2 | 1372 (94.10) |
 3 | 79 (5.42) |
 4 or above | 7 (0.48) |
Blinding | |
 Single-blinded | 9 (0.62) |
 Double-blinded | 18 (1.23) |
 Open-label | 3 (0.21) |
 Not reported | 1428 (97.94) |
Intervention type of CM | |
 Chinese herbal formulas | 1320 (90.53) |
 Single herbs | 28 (1.92) |
 Moxibustion | 20 (1.37) |
 Acupuncture | 12 (0.82) |
 Catgut-embedding therapy | 11 (0.75) |
 Massage | 2 (0.14) |
 Autohemotherapy at acupoint | 1 (0.07) |
 Complex interventiona | 64 (4.39) |
Intervention period | |
 ≤ 30 days | 707 (48.49) |
 31–60 days | 489 (33.54) |
 61–90 days | 167 (11.45) |
 > 90 days | 27 (1.85) |
 Not reported | 70 (4.80) |
Follow-up period | |
 ≤ 90 days | 66 (4.53) |
 91–180 days | 109 (7.48) |
 181–360 days | 70 (4.80) |
 > 360 days | 12 (0.82) |
 Not reported | 1201 (82.37) |
Type of controls | |
 Integrated CM and WM | 78 (5.35) |
 Including placebo | 17 (1.17) |
 Solely WM as control | 1359 (93.21) |
 Solely CM as control | 4 (0.27) |
Diagnostic criteria of UC | |
 Both CM and WM | 575 (39.44) |
 CM | 2 (0.14) |
 WM | 881 (60.43) |
CM-related outcomes | |
 CM pattern score | 303 (20.78) |
 CM symptomsb | 46 (3.16) |
Not reported | 1109 (76.06) |
 Conclusions on the efficacy of ICWM | |
 Confirmed efficacy | 1438 (98.63) |
 Beneficial | 20 (1.37) |