Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an indispensable role in the healthcare system. Artificial intelligence (AI) opens a new pathway for TCM modernization, while also addressing critical healthcare challenges. The present national survey was conducted to assess the attitudes and perceptions of individuals with health needs regarding the integration of TCM with AI. A cross-sectional national survey was conducted at 13 medical institutions across China. A structured, self-reported questionnaire was administered to 2587 individuals with health needs, including patients seeking TCM/Western medical treatment and individuals undergoing routine physical examinations, between June 27th and July 11th, 2025. A total of 1641 (63.4 %) respondents were familiar with the TCM-AI equipment, and 61.7 % respondents were willing to try TCM diagnosis and treatment services combined with AI. 43.5 % respondents trusted the diagnosis results provided by the TCM-AI equipment. In the subgroup analysis, respondents aged 18-34, with a bachelor's degree or associate's degree as their educational background, and working as employees of state organs, showed greater acceptance and trust towards the integration of TCM and AI (P < 0.005). The top three most promising applications were the intelligent syndrome differentiation system (46.9 %), TCM four diagnostic instruments (39.9 %), and intelligent TCM formula (39.0 %). The integration of TCM and AI demonstrates promising acceptance among health-seeking individuals in China, with younger and educated populations who have health demands for TCM showing particularly high trust, and intelligent syndrome differentiation systems highlight a clear pathway for AI to modernize TCM practice by augmenting diagnostic accuracy and treatment personalization.

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are being increasingly utilized for mitigating fertility problems. Nonpharmacological interventions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are widely used as an adjunct to ART, which may improve the rate of pregnancy. Currently, no standard treatment guidelines or consensus are available for non-pharmacological interventions of TCM for patients undergoing ART. The aim of this study was to establish a consensus on the use of non-pharmacological TCM interventions during the ART treatment cycle. This study utilized existing data and developed a consensus among a panel of experts on non-pharmacological interventions of TCM for ART. Through face-to-face or online contact, the listed recommendations were revised one by one, and a consensus was reached when >70 % of the experts agreed with the recommendation. The writing group of the expert panel then created the first draft of the expert consensus based on the discussion in the first round. The second round was held to reach a consensus on content improvements based on the opinions of the experts in the previous round. After the literature search, a total of 873 related articles were retrieved, and 59 studies were ultimately included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After two rounds of the survey, a total of 24 experts from 18 Chinese provinces across China and five international experts from the United Kingdom, Korea, and Serbia provided vital insight and support for the formulation of this consensus. The consensus outlines eight non-pharmacological interventions for seven different stages of the ART cycle and three major complications during ART, involving 23 items of clinical practice recommendations. Expert consensus provides a foundation for integrating non-pharmacological TCM interventions into clinical practice during ART. As more high-quality, large-scale, multicenter clinical trials are conducted, these recommendations may be refined and updated to better inform clinical guidelines and improve patient outcomes in ART.

Introduction: Labour pain is an unavoidable feature of childbirth and is characterised by extreme intensity. Adequate pain management is thus essential not only from the aspect of physiological pain but also due to the adverse effects of pain on the psychological well-being of parturients. Many studies have shown the benefits of acupoint hot compress. However, to date, little is known about its use for alleviating labour pain. The purpose is to evaluate the effect of acupoint hot compress on relieving pain in primiparous women during the latent phase of the first stage of labour, as well as its effects on key maternal and neonatal outcomes. Methods and analysis: This prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled trial will be conducted across 18 institutions in China from January 2024 to August 2025. A total of 1100 primiparous women aged 20–34 years, with singleton pregnancies at 37–41 weeks of gestation, will be enrolled and randomly allocated to two groups using a central stratified block randomisation method. The controls will be treated only with obstetrical care, while those in the intervention group will receive the same obstetrical care as the control group, with the addition of acupoint hot compress therapy at 42±2°C for 4 hours, starting 1 hour after the onset of regular uterine contractions during the latent phase of labour. The primary outcome will be the pain intensity measured at 1, 3 and 5 hours after the onset of regular uterine contractions using a Visual Analog Scale. Ethics and dissemination: The study has been approved by the ethics committee of Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University (No. IRB-20230379-R). The results of the main trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number: This trial is registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2300079244.

Non-pharmacological pain management approaches, including acupoint hot compress, may provide valuable support for women dealing with pain during the latent