Research On Training Scheme Of Clinical Researchers Of Traditional Chinese Medicine And Evaluation Index System Of Scientific Research Ability

BackgroundEarly in2009, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) has selected and approved sixteen national research bases of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The establishment of these bases is set for the long-term and stable promotion of clinical research of TCM for treating and preventing major diseases, for the training of high-level talent, for the production of clinical research outcomes with international acknowledgement, for providing reliable evidence for TCM clinical effectiveness, for the improvement of internalization of TCM research achievements, for TCM clinical effectiveness receiving international acknowledgement, and for the transformation and generalization of TCM clinical research achievements.According to the general purpose of national TCM clinical research bases, there are three requirements for the major diseases research, clinical and research capability, model and mechanism of base operation. The scientific research ability and its appraisal of clinical research personnel is the major contents for base construction, and the first task for improving the high-quality research ability is to train the back-bone research team, and it is with the same significance for appraisal of clinical research personnel.At present, the ability of TCM research is not promising, and it is difficult to achieve high-quality research production when taking the state-level scientific research projects. Therefore, SATCM raised the construction of research personnel ability from bases into the agenda. The present study is focused on training plan for TCM clinical research personnel and the assessment system for research ability, in order to improve the level of TCM clinical research for meeting the needs of the current reality.PurposeThis study is targeted as clinical research personnel from national TCM clinical research bases, to construct a sound training plan for TCM clinical research personnel, as well as an assessment system for appraise the research ability, committed todeveloping talent for TCM clinical research and to improving its level.Methods1. Literature reviewTo search, select, and review available literature, study and format scientific understanding method. The author systematically searched and reviewed literature about clinical research methods courses, teaching methods, scientific research ability assessment setting from national and foreign databases.2. QuestionnaireWe sent out questionnaires in an indirect way to identify research materials. It is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents, which is a common way in empirical researches.3. One-to-one InterviewIt is a qualitative research interview, in an orally way, seeks to describethe meanings of central themes in the life world of the subjects. The main task in interviewing is to understand the meaning of what the interviewees say.It is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about questionsby a trained host in an unstructured way in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members, in order to get deep understanding on a certain theme or concept.5. BrainstormingIt is a group or individual creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its member(s), especially referring to experts. The host explains problems in a clear way, present rules, and call for plans from experts freely.6. Analytic Hierarchy ProcessIt is a structured technique for organizing and analyzing complex decisions, based on mathematics and psychology.lt helps decision makers find one that best suits their goal and their understanding of the problem. It provides a comprehensive and rational framework for structuring a decision problem, for representing and quantifying its elements, for relating those elements to overall goals, and for evaluating alternative solutions.Results1. Trainging Protocol for TCM clinical researchersThe author assessed the basic characteristics, current research status and requirements of clinical research methodology of clinical researchersusing questionnairesurveys, summarized the training programmes of NIH through literature review, and combined the results of two studies and experts’s concensus of a meeting. Finally a training protocol was established that consisted of objectives, participants, contents, methods, teachers and evaluation methods.The required knowledge for TCM clinical researchers included:clinical epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, medical statistics, literature search and application, ethic in clinical research, program management and quality control, methods for inheritance of TCM experts’experience, systematic review, registration of clinical trial, data collection and management, reporting standards, transformation and application of results, development of new drug, development of questionnaire/scales, design of clinical path, clinical practice guidelines, and integrative treatment. The required knowledgewas transfored into standardized training protocol.The training methods for TCM clinical researcher:according to different training contents and participants, systematic training (combination of theory and cases study) and specific traininig (combination of theory and practice) should be both applied. The metods could be short-term advanced study, instruction of clinical methodology, cooperation in research, part-time graduate students, postdoctoral sites, etc. Interactive teaching and elicitation method of teaching should be addressed.2. Assessment system research for appraisal of TCM clinical research abilityThe assessment criteria consist of four1-level index and seventeen2-level indexes. The former are knowledge system, research quality, research practice, and research achievement. The latter are professional theoretical knowledge, research methods, continuing education and advanced studies, foreign language, team work, research attitude, research morality, host or take part in projects, funding, implement and quality control, international academic communication, talent plan, publication of papers and monograph, postgraduate plan, research achievement award and this transformation and generalization (technology, products, service)Reliability analysisand validity AnalysisCronbach’s Alpha of1-level index is0.741, Cronbach’s Alpha of knowledge system is0.637, Cronbach’s Alpha of research quality is0.714, Cronbach’s Alpha of research practice is0.788, Cronbach’s Alpha of research achievement is0.769, showed good reliability by consistency check.All the index pass the validity analysis, the questionnaire has good structure.By consistency check for the matrix all level indexes,65copies from116questionnaires passed the consistency check, with a rate of56.03%.By weighting calculation for all level indexes, the ability assessment system index weighted for1-level index are knowledge system (0.336), research quality (0.267), research practice (0.234), and research achievement (0.163). And for2-level indexes are professional theoretical knowledge (0.133), research methods (0.111), continuing education and advanced studies (0.049), foreign language (0.044), team work (0.090), research attitude (0.091), research morality (0.086), host or take part in projects (0.069), funding (0.038), implement and quality control (0.061), international academic communication (0.033), talent plan (0.032), publication of papers (0.037) and monograph (0.025), postgraduate plan (0.031), research achievement award (0.031) and this transformation and generalization (technology, products, service)(0.039).ConclusionsBy constructing the training plan and implement of the training for TCM clinical research personnel, it is expected to resolve the knowledge lack of research methods, guiding the practice of TCM clinical research. By constructing the ability assessment index systems, the level of TCM clinical research personnel will be checked, and will lay the foundation of improvement of TCM clinical research level.