CHI Research Research Articles

Bibliometric Analysis of Tai Chi Research (1973–2023): Focusing on Fall Prevention and Balance

Bibliometric Analysis of Tai Chi Research (1973–2023): Focusing on Fall Prevention and Balance

Evolutionary Overview of Consumer Health Informatics: Bibliometric Study on the Web of Science from 1999 to 2019.

BackgroundConsumer health informatics (CHI) originated in the 1990s. With the rapid development of computer and information technology for health decision making, an increasing number of consumers have obtained health-related information through the internet, and CHI has also attracted the attention of an increasing number of scholars.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the research themes and evolution characteristics of different study periods and to discuss the dynamic evolution path and research theme rules in a time-series framework from the perspective of a strategy map and a data flow in CHI.MethodsThe Web of Science core collection database of the Institute for Scientific Information was used as the data source to retrieve relevant articles in the field of CHI. SciMAT was used to preprocess the literature data and construct the overlapping map, evolution map, strategic diagram, and cluster network characterized by keywords. Besides, a bibliometric analysis of the general characteristics, the evolutionary characteristics of the theme, and the evolutionary path of the theme was conducted.ResultsA total of 986 articles were obtained after the retrieval, and 931 articles met the document-type requirement. In the past 21 years, the number of articles increased every year, with a remarkable growth after 2015. The research content in 4 different study periods formed the following 38 themes: patient education, medicine, needs, and bibliographic database in the 1999-2003 study period; world wide web, patient education, eHealth, patients, medication, terminology, behavior, technology, and disease in the 2004-2008 study period; websites, information seeking, physicians, attitudes, technology, risk, food labeling, patient, strategies, patient education, and eHealth in the 2009-2014 study period; and electronic medical records, health information seeking, attitudes, health communication, breast cancer, health literacy, technology, natural language processing, user-centered design, pharmacy, academic libraries, costs, internet utilization, and online health information in the 2015-2019 study period. Besides, these themes formed 10 evolution paths in 3 research directions: patient education and intervention, consumer demand attitude and behavior, and internet information technology application.ConclusionsAveraging 93 publications every year since 2015, CHI research is in a rapid growth period. The research themes mainly focus on patient education, health information needs, health information search behavior, health behavior intervention, health literacy, health information technology, eHealth, and other aspects. Patient education and intervention research, consumer demand, attitude, and behavior research comprise the main theme evolution path, whose evolution process has been relatively stable. This evolution path will continue to become the research hotspot in this field. Research on the internet and information technology application is a secondary theme evolution path with development potential.

Stroke survivors personal efficacy beliefs and outcomes expectations of tai chi exercise: a qualitative descriptive study

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Laurence B. Emmons Research Award Background Strokes are a leading cause of serious long-term disability, often compounded by post-stroke depression. Prior Tai Chi research conducted among stroke survivors has focused mainly on physical functioning yet understanding the potential benefits and challenges of participating in Tai Chi exercise during stroke recovery is limited. Social Cognitive Theory and Complex Systems Biology provided the theoretical framework to examine stroke survivors’ personal efficacy beliefs, behaviour (Tai Chi intervention), and outcome expectations (Figure 1). Purpose To describe community-dwelling stroke survivors’ experiences of being in an 8-week Tai Chi intervention, including any benefits or challenges they had, and allow the participants to offer any suggestions for improving how the Tai Chi classes were structured. Methods A qualitative descriptive approach was used, with focus group interview data collected from stroke survivors after participation in a Tai Chi intervention. Due to COVID-19, the focus group interview was conducted via on-line video conferencing. The interview was audio-recorded, then transcribed using an online transcription service. Content analysis of the de-identified transcript was conducted using online analysis software with a priori codes based on the theoretical framework, and inductive codes that were added during the analysis process. The transcript was coded independently by two researchers and discussed until consensus was reached. Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were followed to ensure trustworthiness of the data. Results Community-dwelling stroke survivors (n = 7) participating in the focus group interviews were on average 68 years old, mainly retired (71%, n = 5), married women (57%, n = 4) with >13 years education (86%, n = 6), reporting depression symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression = 15.9 ± 9.6) with 43% (n = 3) taking anti-depressant medications. The major findings are summarized according to three major themes: Personal Efficacy Beliefs, Tai Chi Intervention Active Ingredients and Outcome Expectations. Personal Efficacy Beliefs centered on the participants’ ability to do the Tai Chi movements. The Tai Chi Intervention Active Ingredients experienced during the classes were evident, apart from ‘natural freer breathing’ which was not discussed or described. Outcome Expectations centered on the physical, mental, and social benefits experienced, challenges encountered, and suggestions for improving the Tai Chi classes. Conclusion Social Cognitive Theory underscored stroke survivors’ personal efficacy beliefs, behaviour, and outcome expectations. While Complex Systems Biology highlighted the active ingredients of Tai Chi intervention they experienced. Participation in the 8-week Tai Chi intervention led to perceived holistic (physical, mental, social) benefits post-stroke.

Bibliometric Evaluation of Global Tai Chi Research from 1980-2020.

While studies on the health benefits of Tai Chi have sprung up over the past four decades, few have engaged in collecting global data, estimating the developing trends, and conducting reviews from the perspective of visualization and bibliometric analysis. This study aimed to provide a summary of the global scientific outputs on Tai Chi research from 1980 to 2020, explore the frontiers, identify cooperation networks, track research trends and highlight emerging hotspots. Relevant publications were downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database between 1980 and 2020. Bibliometric visualization and comparative analysis of authors, cited authors, journals, co-cited journals, institutions, countries, references, and keywords were systematically conducted using CiteSpace software. A total of 1078 publications satisfied the search criteria, and the trend of annual related publications was generally in an upward trend, although with some fluctuations. China (503) and Harvard University (74) were the most prolific country and institution, respectively. Most of the related researches were published in the journals with a focus on sport sciences, alternative medicine, geriatrics gerontology, and rehabilitation. Our results indicated that the current concerns and difficulties of Tai Chi research are “Intervention method”, “Targeted therapy”, “Applicable population”, “Risk factors”, and “Research quality”. The frontiers and promising domains of Tai Chi exercise in the health science field are preventions and rehabilitations of “Fall risk”, “Cardiorespiratory related disease”, “Stroke”, “Parkinson’s disease”, and “Depression”, which should receive more attention in the future.

Research on Function and Mechanism of Tai Chi on Cardiac Rehabilitation.

With the increasing number of cardiovascular patients, more and more people are living with diseases. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an effective treatment and prevention measure for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which aims to relieve both psychological and physiological stress of CVD, reduce risk of death from CVD, improve cardiovascular function and patients' quality of life. Tai Chi is popular in China and mainly used as a daily leisure activity for the elderly to strengthen their bodies. This review discusses whether Tai Chi could be taken as a positive intervention in CR and what is the exact role and its mechanisms as exercise therapy for CVD. The authors detail the role of Tai Chi on CR from the aspects of exercise capacity, risk factors of CVD and psychological factors, etc., as well as highlight the limitation of Tai Chi research at present.

Tai Chi Research Review

This review briefly summarizes recent Tai Chi research on physical benefits including balance and muscle strength and psychological benefits including attentiveness, sleep and anxiety. Cardiovascular changes following Tai Chi include decreased heart rate and blood pressure, increased vagal activity and decreased cholesterol. Pain syndromes that have been affected include fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune and immune conditions recently researched and reviewed here include osteoporosis, diabetes and HIV. Methodological problems with this research include the variability in forms (series of postures) used across studies as well as the intensity of the Tai Chi schedule. Further, most of the studies are based on within group changes rather than attention control group comparisons. Nonetheless, significant clinical improvements have been noted.

An evidence map of the effect of Tai Chi on health outcomes

BackgroundThis evidence map describes the volume and focus of Tai Chi research reporting health outcomes. Originally developed as a martial art, Tai Chi is typically taught as a series of slow, low-impact movements that integrate the breath, mind, and physical activity to achieve greater awareness and a sense of well-being.MethodsThe evidence map is based on a systematic review of systematic reviews. We searched 11 electronic databases from inception to February 2014, screened reviews of reviews, and consulted with topic experts. We used a bubble plot to graphically display clinical topics, literature size, number of reviews, and a broad estimate of effectiveness.ResultsThe map is based on 107 systematic reviews. Two thirds of the reviews were published in the last five years. The topics with the largest number of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were general health benefits (51 RCTs), psychological well-being (37 RCTs), interventions for older adults (31 RCTs), balance (27 RCTs), hypertension (18 RCTs), fall prevention (15 RCTs), and cognitive performance (11 RCTs). The map identified a number of areas with evidence of a potentially positive treatment effect on patient outcomes, including Tai Chi for hypertension, fall prevention outside of institutions, cognitive performance, osteoarthritis, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pain, balance confidence, and muscle strength. However, identified reviews cautioned that firm conclusions cannot be drawn due to methodological limitations in the original studies and/or an insufficient number of existing research studies.ConclusionsTai Chi has been applied in diverse clinical areas, and for a number of these, systematic reviews have indicated promising results. The evidence map provides a visual overview of Tai Chi research volume and content.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42014009907Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0300-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The prevalence of burnout among oncology professionals: oncologists are at risk of developing burnout.

International research shows that oncology staff suffers more from burnout than other healthcare professionals. Burnout is common among oncologists. The prevalence of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment appears to be significantly higher among physicians. Detecting burnout is highly relevant, because it affects the personal well-being and quality of life of the healthcare professional. A national study on the prevalence of burnout in oncology was never conducted in Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium). The Cédric Hèle institute spread anonymous questionnaires among 923 healthcare workers in oncology (physicians, social workers, psychologists, nurses, and specialist-nurses) in Flanders. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part contained questions concerning demographic and job features. The second part included the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Five hundred and fifty subjects participated in the survey (response rate of 59.5%). Of the medical oncologists, 51.2% suffered from emotional exhaustion, 31.8% from depersonalization, and 6.8% from a lack of personal accomplishment. Multivariate analysis of variance suggested a significantly elevated level of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in oncologists compared with other professionals. Logistic regression indicated that the following variables have predictive value on risk of burnout: gender, profession, and combining work in a university hospital with work in a private hospital. The CHi research showed a significantly increased level of burnout-components in professionals working in oncology, especially in medical oncologists. These results should have an impact on the daily clinic of oncology, and could be guidance for further research.

Tai Chi research review

This review briefly summarizes recent Tai Chi research on physical benefits including balance and muscle strength and psychological benefits including attentiveness, sleep and anxiety. Cardiovascular changes following Tai Chi include decreased heart rate and blood pressure, increased vagal activity and decreased cholesterol. Pain syndromes that have been affected include fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune and immune conditions recently researched and reviewed here include osteoporosis, diabetes and HIV. Methodological problems with this research include the variability in forms (series of postures) used across studies as well as the intensity of the Tai Chi schedule. Further, most of the studies are based on within group changes rather than attention control group comparisons. Nonetheless, significant clinical improvements have been noted.

Tai chi as a balance improvement exercise for older adults: a systematic review.

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify exercise parameters and the most common outcome measures used in tai chi (TC) research. Ovid Medline and PubMed were used to identify longitudinal studies published from January 2000 to July 2007 written in English with the key words tai chi, tai ji, tai chi quan, tai ji quan, balance, falls, and falling. Qualifying studies had subjects aged 60 years or older. In all 19 qualified prospective studies, older vigorous and likely transitional frail individuals seemed to benefit more from TC than did older frail individuals. The most commonly used TC parameters were Yang's style, with 12 or fewer forms, durations of 12 weeks or longer, frequencies of twice a week or more, and session lengths of at least 45 minutes. The most common outcome measures observed were a combination of 2 to 5 of the following 10 measures (from most to least common): fear of falling, single-leg stance, posturography, rate of falling, flexibility, walking velocity, Berg Balance Scale, Timed up and Go, Functional Reach, and ankle and knee joint strength and range of motion. Improvements were reported in almost all of these measures. This review indicates that TC may be an economic and effective exercise program for improving balance and balance confidence in older adults.

An Integrative Review of Tai Chi Research

The purpose of this integrative review is to analyze the current research literature on Tai Chi (TC) and its potential effect on balance and prevention of falls in older adults. The evidence for improving balance is somewhat conflicting because few research studies identify which balance exercises are effective. The question of how TC achieves improvements in balance remains. To promote functional independence and improve quality of life in the later years of one's life, it is important to improve balance and prevent falls in older adults. TC poses challenges related to the complexity of the practice. By reviewing the current research literature on TC focusing on balance and falls in older adults, strategies may be developed to incorporate TC to improve balance and modify the known risk factors for falling. This article also discusses potential applications and limitations of the current research.

An Integrative Review of Tai Chi Research

Orthopaedic Nursing: March 2010 - Volume 29 - Issue 2 - p 117-118 doi: 10.1097/NOR.0b013e3181d64360

Challenges Inherent toT'ai ChiResearch: Part I—T'ai Chias a Complex Multicomponent Intervention

In this, the first of 2 companion papers, we present a framework for viewing t'ai chi as a complex, multicomponent intervention that integrates numerous physical, cognitive, and ritualistic components. We discuss how the richness and complexity of t'ai chi poses challenges related to the traditional distinction between specific versus nonspecific effects, the development and interpretation of valid sham controls, and more generally, to the reductionist causal approach of attributing observed outcomes to single, independent component factors. We also discuss parallels between t'ai chi research and the emerging field of whole systems research, and how t'ai chi research may benefit from the use of an ecologic framework. In a second, companion paper, we discuss additional challenges inherent in defining the t'ai chi intervention itself, and more comprehensively outline the benefits and limitations of commonly used clinical research designs to evaluate the efficacy and safety of t'ai chi.

THE PATENT LEADER

THE TOP-SCORING COMPANY in the most recent ranking of global patent activity by the Patent Board, a patent analytics firm, is not a West Coast semiconductor or software giant, but DuPont, the 200-yearold chemical company based in Wilmington, Del. The Patent Board's third-quarter survey puts DuPont ahead of Intel and Microsoft in terms of strength, a measure of the overall quality and size of a company's patent portfolio. The Chicagobased firm uses a normalization process to factor out industry dynamics so it can compare portfolios across industries. Weatherford International, an oil-field services firm, is number four, and the medical technology firm Medtronic is number five. Other chemical companies are much further down the list. For example,BASF comes in at 35; Rohm and Haas, at 57; Shin-Etsu Chemical, at 90; and U.S. chemical sales leader Dow Chemical, at 128. The Patent Board and its predecessor company CHI Research have ...

The classification of biomedical journals by research level

A new method of classification of biomedical research journals by research level (RL) into clinical or basic, or somewhere in between, is described that updates the system developed by CHI Research Inc. nearly 30 years ago. It is based on counting articles that have one of about 100 “clinical” title words, or one of a similar number of “basic” title words, or both. It allows over 3000 journals in the Science Citation Index (or other databases) to be classified rapidly and transparently, for changes in their research level with time, and for many individual papers in “mixed” journals to be categorised as clinical or basic.

NEW U.S. INNOVATION SYSTEM EVOLVING

A NEW EXAMINATION OF PATENT trends in three U.S. regions— East North Central, Middle Atlantic, and Pacific—indicates that big changes are afoot in the nation's innovation system. Presented last month at a National Science Foundation symposium, the results suggest that it is difficult to overstate the effects of the technological dynamism of U.S. health and information technology (IT) companies, said Diana Hicks, a senior policy analyst at CHI Research, Haddon Heights, N.J Using a variety of information sources and databases, Hicks's analysis is a portrait of change in the nation's innovation system and thus its economy and society It does seem to me that deep shifts are taking place, she said. Ifou can see the world changing. Hicks's patent trend research examines five changes that economists and other analysts believe are under way: the blossoming of innovative activity in the information and health technologies, the shift of the innovative center of gravity to the ...

Australian medical patents granted in the United States in 1984‐1999

To describe all medical patents granted in the United States to Australian-resident inventors between 1984 and 1999. All patent data originated from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Data for 1984-1994 were compiled by CHI Research Inc, and data for 1995-1999 were obtained from the Community of Science website. Number of medical patents granted in the US to Australian-resident inventors; assignees (owners) of these medical patents; proportion of these medical patents related to biotechnology. From 1984 to 1999, 7835 utility patents were granted in the US to Australian-resident inventors. Of these, 1308 patents (17%) were identified as medical patents; 489 (37%) of these were biotechnology patents. Medical patents account for an increasing proportion of all US patents granted to Australian inventors, increasing from 10% in 1984 to 25% in 1999. Biotechnology accounted for an increasing proportion of medical patents, rising from 10% to 55% between 1984 and 1999. More than half the medical patents are owned by commercial interests, and 33% by only 14 organisations, six of which are universities and their affiliated institutions. Only a few organisations account for most of the patenting of medical technology. The inventors and their organisations listed on medical patents could be canvassed when developing government policy and targeted for support in commercialising their medical technology.

Patents reveal U.S. technology prowess

If obtaining U.S. patents is a measure of technological prowess, then the U.S. has a clear edge over other nations, according to a Department of Commerce study. However, past leadership is not a guarantee of future leadership, and other countries may start putting pressure on the U.S. Commerce study, The New Innovators: Global Patenting Trends in Five Sectors, looks at the advanced materials, information technology, health, automotive, and express transportation and logistics sectors in five-year periods between 1982 and 1996. It was coauthored by Michael B. Albert, vice president of CHI Research, a Haddon Heights, N.J.- based research firm; Phyllis Genther Yo shida, director of Commerce's Office of Technology Policy international policy staff; and Debra van Opstal, vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based Council on Competitiveness. With about half of all U.S. patents going to foreign inventors, the study considers the U.S. system the most level playing field for quantitative, international...

PATENTS AS CORPORATE ASSETS

With world financial markets teetering, investors may not be thinking much about putting their money into the stock market these days. But eventually they will, and when they do, most will choose to lay their bets in the usual rational ways—examining earnings, dividends, overall economic environment, management strength, product competitiveness, and other indicators of a company's performance. All those criteria were believed to be fine, true, and predictive in the past. But in today's high-tech, information-intensive, brand-conscious era, maybe other factors need to be considered. That is why Francis Narin, who runs CHI Research, a unique Haddon Heights, N.J., patent tracking firm, is hoping to add another key, but novel, criterion to that list: corporate patent analysis. He and New York University accounting professor Baruch Lev have produced new data that show that the more potent a company's patent activity, the better it does on Wall Street. It's a solid predictive measure, and it's quantifiable, ...

PUBLIC SCIENCE DRIVES INNOVATION

For the past 30 years or so, Francis Narin, president of CHI Research Inc., Haddon Heights, N.J., has been meticulously building a computerized database of a million and a half U.S. and European patents. He's categorized them every which way—by field and subfield, by inventor, by country, by institution, by movement of inventor from place to place. The job of sorting, slicing, chopping, and filtering data might be fulfilling work for only a certain few, but the results are almost always revealing in the way they trace technological progress. And at times they can be downright exciting. And this year they were. Narin, originally a nuclear engineer, hit the jackpot in the arcane field of bibliometrics with a study done for the National Science Foundation. The study, which brought equal joy to NSF, indicated that industry is using basic research performed by government and universities more and more to advance its technology. So excited is ...