Qualitative evaluation of insomnia studies using Chinese medicinal formulas

Objective: To perform qualitative evaluation on insomnia research performed using Chinese medical formulas. Evaluation focuses on adherence to Chinese medical diagnosis, usage and background information.
Methods: Twenty six research papers in total were evaluated for their adherence to Chinese medicinal usage. Analysis was performed by scoring each paper according to specific criteria. The first criterion is for diagnosis and treatment and consists of three points in total. The second criterion is for background information and consists of five points in total.
Results: In the diagnosis and treatment section, the two largest categories are those that score a one out of three (34.6% of total) followed by those that score a three out of three (26.9%). This section has results that are more varied and have a wide variety of scores. In the supporting information section, the two largest categories are those that score a four out of five (34.6%) followed by those that score a three out of five (26.9%). Most papers scored in the higher range of this section, with only a few scoring lowly.
Conclusion: Chinese formula research for insomnia varies in quality, especially in regards to diagnosis and treatment. A standard needs to be devised for how research should be performed.