Provision of acupuncture in a university health centre--a clinical audit.
A retrospective audit was carried out between May 1999 and April 2000 at a university-based acupuncture clinic. Two acupuncturists saw a total of 69 clients of whom three-quarters were female; just over a third were less than 29 years of age; two-thirds were below the age of 40; 67% of clients were Caucasians; a third smoked; three-quarters currently consumed some alcohol. Most had no experience of using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), therefore the service provided the first access to CAM. Of those attending a follow-up appointment, 43 (80%) reported feeling better, 10 the same and one worse. No side-effects were reported by 50 (73%) clients, but four reported minor side-effects (one bruising and three drowsiness). The process of carrying out the audit provided the opportunity for the practitioners to reflect on their clinical practice and improve service delivery.
Grabowska
C
C
Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, Thames Valley University, 32-38 Uxbridge Road, London W5 2BS, UK. christine.grabowska@tvu.ac.uk
Squire
C
C
MacRae
E
E
Robinson
N
N
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D012189:Retrospective Studies