• Frailty is common and risky in older patients, needing safe care options. • Tapping therapy offers gentle exercise for frail older patients, avoiding fall risks. • Expert panel identified key acupoints for tapping to treat frail older patients. • Consensus selected 15 specific acupoints across 7 body pathways for therapy. • This tapping method provides a safe, practical approach for care of frail older patients. Previous studies have shown that acupressure can improve the quality of life of frail older people, but the specific meridians and acupoints remain unclear. The aim of this study is to apply the Delphi expert consultation method to determine the meridians and acupoints that are suitable for the treatment of frailty in older people. Following a literature review of Traditional Chinese medicine classics and the research team discussions, an initial set of meridians and acupoints indicators was developed. From June 2020 to October 2020, two rounds of Delphi expert consultations were conducted with 16 experts in traditional Chinese medicine and geriatric medicine . The effective response rate for the first round expert consultation was 100%, and that for the second round was 93.8%. The authority coefficient of the experts in the two rounds of consultation was 0.875, and the coordination degree test p < 0.01, indicating good expert consensus. Finally, a list of acupoints for older patients with frailty was constructed, with 22 items (7 first-level indicators and 15 second-level indicators). The expert consultation results indicated good representativeness, high authority, and good coordination. The application of the Delphi method effectively identified meridians/acupoints and their weights for the tapping therapy of older patients with frailty, offering a reference framework.
Chen et al. (Sun,) studied this question.