Formulating Assessment Criteria for Filiform Needle Manipulation Techniques: An e-Delphi Study

Background: Currently, there is still a lack of internationally recognized assessment criteria for acupuncturists. This study attempts to formulate a set of scientific and standardized examination processes and evaluation methods for the assessment of filiform needle manipulation techniques by using the e-Delphi method. Methods: The study comprised four phases. The initial phase involves preparatory tasks where an item pool is developed by reviewing literature and international studies. And then, selected a group of representative and specialized experts in the field to form an expert panel. The subsequent phase commences with Delphi consultations, where questionnaires are formulated based on the item pool and distributed to volunteer experts via email. Following multiple consultation rounds, the item framework is established. Moving to the third phase, specific implementation details for each item are determined through further Delphi consultations, leading to the creation of a comprehensive assessment standard. Lastly, the fourth phase involves an initial assessment of the standardized process's feasibility through a small-scale pilot test. Results: The positive coefficient of experts in all Delphi consultations was 100%, and the coefficient of authority was (0.935±0.017), which proved that the participating experts had a high degree of support and authority for this study, and guaranteed the reliability of the results. After 2 stages of Delphi consultation, 4 questionnaires were distributed. According to the pre-set consensus principle, we finally determined the standard framework including 8 primary items, 32 secondary items and 17 tertiary items, and determined scientific and reasonable implementation programs and requirements for each item.We wrote the first draft based on the results of the Delphi consultation, and then revised it after identifying shortcomings through a pilot study. Conclusion: This study established scientific and standardized examination criteria for filiform needle manipulation techniques, offering a benchmark for international certification exams for acupuncturists. Future research should focus on further trials and extensive validation studies to assess the practicality of these standards.