A rapid evidence assessment of recent therapeutic touch research.

The review was rapid, so it did not search as broadly or deeply as a full systematic review. It only covered English-language studies from January 2009 to March 2020. The included studies were too varied in patients, conditions, and treatment methods to combine into one reliable estimate. Most studies had serious design problems, including small groups, unclear allocation, and high risk of bias. Many studies were published in journals that supported alternative therapy, and some researchers were therapeutic touch practitioners. Because therapeutic touch cannot be blinded or measured, it is hard to tell whether any reported benefit came from the intervention, attention, belief, or placebo. Some studies combined therapeutic touch with other treatments, so the effect of therapeutic touch alone cannot be separated.

The authors declared no competing interests or conflicts of interest.

Do not read the 17 positive studies as proof that therapeutic touch works. The review found those studies were low quality and heavily biased, and the studies with medium weight of evidence showed no effect.