Hong Kong Baptist University and Elsevier Report Highlights Global Expansion of Chinese Medicine Research, Urges Standardised Frameworks for Broader Integration
- Chinese Medicine research grows 10.6% annually.
- 14.2% of papers rank in top 10% most-cited globally.
- Need for global guidelines to enhance scientific impact.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY -
Media OutReach Newswire - 18 June 2025 – The report "Evolving Legacy: Decoding the Scientific Trajectory of Chinese Medicine" released today by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and
Elsevier, reveals the growing impact of Chinese Medicine research on global healthcare and modern health challenges. In this context, "Chinese Medicine research" encompasses not only
clinical practice, but also basic and translational science, AI-driven systems medicine, and the network pharmacology of herbal formulas. This first bibliometric analysis of Chinese
Medicine research from 2014 to 2023 highlights the field's rapid growth, interdisciplinarity, and societal impact on Digital Health and Systems Medicine. |
Key findings from the report include:
- Rapid expansion: Chinese Medicine research grew at a 10.6% compound annual growth rate — more than double the global research average — nearly tripling output between 2014 and 2023.
- High scholarly impact: 14.2% of Chinese Medicine papers ranked among the world's top 10% most-cited (global norm: 10%), with a field-weighted citation impact (FWCI) of 1.12.
- Interdisciplinary breadth: Medicine dominates (61.9% of output), followed by Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology (33.1%) and Pharmacology (28.1%). Citing publications span diverse major domains — from Engineering to Materials Science.
- Global collaboration hubs: Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR exceed 80% cross-regional collaboration, above the 18% world average, and achieving FWCI >1.6 in cross-regional collaborative publications.
- Emerging research foci: Top-published trending topics include "Herbaceous Agent | Chinese Medicine | Network Pharmacology" and COVID-19 applications, reflecting integration of omics, AI and systems methods.
- Societal resonance: 11.1% of research outputs were mentioned on social media and 2.9% cited in policy documents, reflecting growing public and policymaker interest.