WHO global research priorities for traditional, complementary, and integrative (TCI) medicine: an international consensus and comparisons with LLMs

Abstract

Background Traditional, complementary, and integrative (TCI) medicine is an essential component of health systems worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Despite its widespread use, existing research on the safety, efficacy, and integration of TCI medicine within conventional healthcare systems is fragmented. This fragmentation highlights the urgent need for a clearly defined global research agenda to guide future studies, secure funding, and inform governance in this field. Methods The Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine Unit at the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland coordinated an international research priority-setting exercise using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method between June and December 2023. We invited a purposive sample of 120 experts from established academic networks to participate; 53 experts (44.16% response rate) contributed, and 34 of them scored 157 unique research ideas according to five CHNRI criteria: feasibility, effectiveness, deliverability, equity, and potential for disease burden reduction. Additionally, we performed a comparative analysis by generating research priorities using large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT-4o, Claude 3.5, and Grok 3, and these outputs were compared with the expert-derived priorities. Results Top-ranked research priorities focused on chronic disease management (e.g. diabetes, dyslipidemia), geriatric safety (e.g. herb-drug interactions), mental health (e.g. resilience and mood disorders), and integration of TCI into health systems. Priorities varied by income setting. Comparison with LLM-generated lists showed thematic overlap in efficacy and safety but divergence in focus, with LLMs emphasising research capacity, policy, and systems-level priorities. Conclusions We established a global, expert-informed research agenda to guide the future direction of TCI medicine and ensure alignment with public health needs. The comparison with LLMs highlights the complementary potential of artificial intelligence in research governance and agenda-setting.