A PubMed-Based Bibliometric Analysis of Research at the Intersection of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Management

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to delineate the interdisciplinary research landscape represented in the PubMed database at the intersection of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital management from 2006 to 2026.

Methods

A total of 456 publications (screened from 464 records) indexed in PubMed were analyzed using the bibliometrix package in R. Keyword co-occurrence and clustering analyses identified thematic domains. Author co-authorship and institutional collaboration networks were constructed, and core nodes were determined using centrality measures. Journal influence was assessed via 2024 Impact Factors and Journal Citation Reports quartiles. Temporal trend analysis and polynomial regression were applied to evaluate growth patterns and research hotspot evolution.

Results

Research output rose from fewer than 2 publications in 2006 to 99 in 2025 (R² = 0.89). International collaboration spanned 26 countries, with China and the United States forming the central cluster. Institutional analysis identified nine Chinese and one Australian institution among the top ten contributors. Publications were distributed across 22 journals, with Medical Acupuncture contributing the most articles and Chinese Medicine having the highest impact factor. Seven of the top ten authors were affiliated with Chinese institutions. Keyword clustering revealed four thematic domains: modernization of TCM and health practice research, hospital management innovation and outcome evaluation, evidence-based evaluation systems, and clinical applications. The “TCM/methods” cluster showed rapid growth from 2023, while “acupuncture” remained consistently active.

Conclusion

This bibliometric study elucidates the knowledge structure and developmental trends of acupuncture and TCM hospital management research. Findings provide evidence for theoretical innovation, practical implementation, and precision-oriented hospital management, contributing to the globalization and intelligent transformation of TCM.

Keywords

acupuncture traditional Chinese medicine hospital management bibliometrics precision medicine international collaboration

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