Prospektive Dokumentationsstudie in der niedergelassenen Praxis - ein Erprobungsverfahren zur Akupunktur und Homöopathie

Author(s): Walach, W.

Journal/Book: Erfahrungsheilkunde. 2001; 50/4: 186-194.

Abstract: The objective is to evaluate the overall effectiveness in general practice of homeopathy and acupuncture, and to estimate costs.The method is a prospective documentation of all patients insured with the insurance company IKK who are provided with free treatment of acupuncture and homeopathy. 4000 patients treated with acupuncture and 1000 patients treated with homeopathy are enrolled. All patients are followed up from the beginning of treatment for another 4 years. Doctors provide data an each visit (diagnosis, treatment, change of symptoms, etc.), patients have to fill in questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of the treatment, as well as each year after the end of treatment (complaints, current treatment, general health status as measured by MOS SF-36). insurance data an workdays lost are provided by the insurance company.Results: Data acquisition is completed, data entry is, 3ontinuing. Up to now data from 1000 patients treated by acupuncture and 300 patients treated by homeopathy have been entered and evaluated. Doctors' rating of the change of main diagnosis shows improvement of 1 point an a 7-point-rating scale. This impression is vindicated by the patients' follow-up questionnaire. Around 80 % of the patients rated the therapy as efficacious. Quality of life of the patients treated with acupuncture as measured by the SF-36 improved in all dimensions. The number of patients treated with homeopathy is too small to find valid results. Data an workdays off will be presented.The conclusion is that acupuncture and homeopathy are clinically effective in a variety of medical problems.

Keyword(s): Akupunktur

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