Investigating Research Method in Persian Medicine: Insights from a Qualitative Study
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Abstract
Research is one of the most important cornerstones of success and always held a specific place in Persian medicine (PM). This study aims to investigate the basics of PM research method. In a qualitative study conducted between July and September 2024, we interviewed 19 experts in PM nationwide. During semi-structured interviews, they shared their perspectives on evidence-based medicine (EBM), research protocol standards, ethical codes, and using observational studies in PM. All participants agreed unanimously on four features of the research methodology: the potential for PM to evolve into EBM, the application of observational studies, adherence to strict product standards, and the similarity of research ethics in PM and contemporary medicine (CM). Over 89% agreed on the efficacy of blinding, the usefulness of current outcome assessment instruments, and the significance of assessing the patient-therapist relationship in clinical trial studies. Respondents (84%) believed the present randomization method was ineffective. Furthermore, 64% acknowledged the animal model's limitations. PM experts believed that the fundamental principles of medical practice should be implemented based on EBM. It is also vital to highlight that the philosophy of PM and CM differ, and this issue should serve as the foundation for creating PM's research methodology. Furthermore, the research methodology criteria for PM should be derived from the principles used in conventional medical sciences.
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[32] Molkara T, Akhlaghi F, Ramezani MA, Salari R, Vakili V, et al. Effects of a food product (based on Daucus carota) and education based on traditional Persian medicine on female sexual dysfunction: a randomized clinical trial. Electron Phys 2018;10:6577.
[33] Adalat M, Khalili M, Ayromlou H, Haririan S, Fazljou SMB, et al. Antidepressant effects of a Persian medicine remedy on multiple sclerosis patients: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial. Galen Med J 2019;8:e1212.
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[42] Mojahedi M, Naseri M, Majdzadeh R, Keshavarz M, Ebadini M, et al. Reliability and validity assessment of Mizaj questionnaire: a novel self-report scale in Iranian traditional medicine. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2014;16:e15924.
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[2] Shirafkan H, Taghavi M, Mirzapor M. Investigating the difference between principals of Iranian traditional medicine and modern medicine for providing a model for integrated medicine. Islam Health J 2014;1:10-15.
[3] Pasalar M, Nimrouzi M, Choopani R, Mosaddegh M, Kamalinejad M, et al. Functional dyspepsia: A new approach from traditional Persian medicine. Avicenna J Phytomed 2016;6:165.
[4] Bigdeli S, Kordafshari G, Soltani Arabshahi SK, Shams Ardakani MR, Mohammadi Kenari H. Evidence-based Iranian traditional medicine schemes and threats. Educ Strategy Med Sci 2013;6:17-23.
[5] von Schoen-Angerer T, Manchanda RK, Lloyd I, Wardle J, Szöke J, et al. Traditional, complementary and integrative healthcare: global stakeholder perspective on WHO’s current and future strategy. BMJ Glob Health 2023;8:e013150.
[6] Solomon M. Just a paradigm: evidence-based medicine in epistemological context. Eur J Philos Sci 2011;1:451-466.
[7] Mortada EM. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine in current medical practice. Cureus. 2024;16:e52041.
[8] Javan R, Ghazanfari SM, Naqibi Z. The principles of the research method in the Iranian school of medicine and its comparison with new methods. Iranian traditional medicine conference and a decade of academic activity: review of the past, future horizon 2017. [In persian]
[9] Suri H. Research method in wisdom-based medicine. Nafs Quarterly, 2023:10.[In persian]
[10] Bahishti AA. The vital role of research methodology in addressing the research questions. Int J Methodol 2022;1:1-1.
[11] Norouzi M, Haghdoost AA, Kkarimiafshar M. The reporting quality and risk of bias of randomized controlled trials in traditional persian medicine: a systematic review. Curr Trad Med 2024;10:1-20.
[12] Norouzi M, Haghdoost AA, Setayesh M. Quality assessment of traditional persian medicine observational studies. Iran J Public Health 2024;53:1469-1481.
[13] Tamayo C, Boon H, Ghishan F, Trinh K. Research methodology evaluating complementary and alternative therapies. Drug Inform J 2002;36:535-548.
[14] Avijgan M, Nasab MM. The methodology of research in Traditional Medicine. J Med Herbs 2010;1:63.
[15] Oranga J, Matere A. Qualitative research: essence, types and advantages. Open Access Library J 2023;10:1-9.
[16] Nyimbili F, Nyimbili L. Types of purposive sampling techniques with their examples and application in qualitative research studies. Br J Multidiscip Adv Stud 2024;5:90-99.
[17] Rahimi S, khatooni M. Saturation in qualitative research: An evolutionary concept analysis. Int J Nurs Stud Adv 2024;6:100174.
[18] Nowell LS, Norris JM, White DE, Moules NJ. Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. Int J Qual Methods 2017;16.
[19] Bigdeli S, Kordafshari G, Soltani Arabshahi SK, Shams Ardakani MR, Mohammadi Kenari H. Evidence-based Iranian traditional medicine schemes and threats. Bimonth Educ Strategies Med Sci 2013;6:17-23.
[20] Abdipour Mehrian SR, Uddin S, Ghahramani Z, Moshfeghinia R, Shahabi S, et al. Evidence-based practice in traditional persian medicine (TPM): a stakeholder and social network analysis. BMC Complement Med Ther 2024;24:253.
[21] Mortada EM. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine in current medical practice. Cureus 2024;16:e52041.
[22] Moradi S, Hosseini A. Iranian traditional medicine and evidence based medicine: An overview of dialogue between two paradigms BMJ Open 2017;7.
[23] Domínguez-Oliva A, Hernández-Ávalos I, Martínez-Burnes J, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, et al. The importance of animal models in biomedical research: current insights and applications. Animals 2023;13:1223.
[24] Lama J, Buhidma Y, Fletcher EJ, Duty S. Animal models of Parkinson’s disease: a guide to selecting the optimal model for your research. Neuronal Signal 2021;5:NS20210026.
[25] Muñoz-Fontela C, Dowling WE, Funnell SG, Gsell P-S, Riveros-Balta AX, et al. Animal models for COVID-19. Nature 2020;586:509-515.
[26] Gisterå A, Ketelhuth DF, Malin SG, Hansson GK. Animal models of atherosclerosis–supportive notes and tricks of the trade. Circ Res 2022;130:1869-1887.
[27] Van Norman GA. Limitations of animal studies for predicting toxicity in clinical trials: is it time to rethink our current approach? JACC: Basic to Translational Science. 2019;4:845-854.
[28] Van Norman GA. Limitations of animal studies for predicting toxicity in clinical trials: Part 2: Potential alternatives to the use of animals in preclinical trials. Basic Transl Sci 2020;5:387-397.
[29] Farrokhyar F, Karanicolas PJ, Thoma A, Simunovic M, Bhandari M, et al. Randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions. Ann Surg 2010;251:409-416.
[30] Schulz KF, Altman DG, Moher D. CONSORT 2010 statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trials. J Pharmacol Pharmacother 2010;1:100-107.
[31] Aghabeiglooei Z, Namazi N, Karimi M, Soleymani S, Ayati MH. Rezaeizadeh H. effects of komouni formulation (herbal product of persian medicine) with a low-calorie diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese women: a triple-blinded randomized clinical trial. Iran J Pharm Res 2023;22:e136114.
[32] Molkara T, Akhlaghi F, Ramezani MA, Salari R, Vakili V, et al. Effects of a food product (based on Daucus carota) and education based on traditional Persian medicine on female sexual dysfunction: a randomized clinical trial. Electron Phys 2018;10:6577.
[33] Adalat M, Khalili M, Ayromlou H, Haririan S, Fazljou SMB, et al. Antidepressant effects of a Persian medicine remedy on multiple sclerosis patients: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial. Galen Med J 2019;8:e1212.
[34] Coart E, Bamps P, Quinaux E, Sturbois G, Saad ED, et al. Minimization in randomized clinical trials. Stat Med 2023;42:5285-5311.
[35] Saghaei M. An overview of randomization and minimization programs for randomized clinical trials. J Med Signals Sens 2011;1:55-61.
[36] Hazra A, Gogtay N. Biostatistics series module 10: Brief overview of multivariate methods. Indian J Dermatol 2017;62:358-366.
[37] Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. [cited 2024]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/complementary-and-alternative-medicine-products-and-their-regulation-food-and-drug-administration.
[38] Noviana E, Indrayanto G, Rohman A. Advances in fingerprint analysis for standardization and quality control of herbal medicines. Front Pharmacol 2022;13:853023.
[39] Ventola CL. Current issues regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States: part 1: the widespread use of CAM and the need for better-informed health care professionals to provide patient counseling. P T 2010;35:461-468.
[40] Guo R, Canter P, Ernst E. A systematic review of randomised clinical trials of individualised herbal medicine in any indication. Postgrad Med J 2007;83:633-637.
[41] FDA’s Regulation of Dietary Supplements with Dr. Cara Welch. [cited 2024]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/fdas-regulation-dietary-supplements-dr-cara-welch.
[42] Mojahedi M, Naseri M, Majdzadeh R, Keshavarz M, Ebadini M, et al. Reliability and validity assessment of Mizaj questionnaire: a novel self-report scale in Iranian traditional medicine. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2014;16:e15924.
[43] Holmes C, McDonald F, Jones M, Ozdemir V, Graham JE. Standardization and omics science: technical and social dimensions are inseparable and demand symmetrical study. OMICS J Integr Biol 2010;14:327-332.
[44] Gopalakrishnan S, Udayshankar P, Rama R. Standard treatment guidelines in primary healthcare practice. J Fam Med prim Care 2014;3:424-429.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 10, No 3, 2025 | |
| Section | Research Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/tim.v10i3.19761 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Traditional Persian medicine Evidence-based medicine Complementary therapies Integrative medicine Research design | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Norouzi M, Haghdoost AA, Barkhori S. Investigating Research Method in Persian Medicine: Insights from a Qualitative Study. Trad Integr Med. 2025;10(3):275-285.
