Engaging in the audit of acupuncture practice.
OBJECTIVE
A pilot study was undertaken to examine the feasibility of auditing and developing a national database of acupuncture practice in the United Kingdom.


METHODS
One hundred forty-five (145) practitioners, members of the British Acupuncture Council, were invited to participate in the study. Those who accepted were given training and then asked to record demographic and treatment outcomes data on new patients attending their practices over a 3-month period. Two questionnaires, the Measure Your Own Medical Outcomes Profile and the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine outcome questionnaire, were compared. Baseline health status was assessed and repeated patient feedback questionnaires employed.


RESULTS
Of the 31 (21%) of practitioners who responded, only 9 (6%) eventually contributed data. A total of 69 patients participated in the study: 43 (68%) of the patients were female, and 46 (73%) were aged between 30 and 59. More than half (52%) had had their presenting problem for over 5 years and most (78%) were affected daily by it. Nineteen (30%) had had prior acupuncture treatment for their condition. The main categories of complaints reported were musculoskeletal and psychologic. Thirty-two (32) out of 41 (78%) patients with completed final outcomes data recorded moderate or major benefit in their main complaint, with no reports of deterioration.


CONCLUSIONS
Although willing to be involved, practitioners found the research process time-consuming and were concerned how it could be balanced against the demands of a busy practice and the interests of patients. For a national audit study to succeed, the process would have to be simplified and practitioners encouraged to engage; collection of such information could then help to provide much-needed data on acupuncture treatment in the United Kingdom.
Bovey
Mark
M
Oriental Medicine Research Trust, Reading, United Kingdom.
Horner
Carol
C
Shaw
Jackie
J
Linthwaite
Peter
P
Mole
Peter
P
Pedley
Bob
B
Robinson
Nicola
N
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012107:Research Design; D006113:United Kingdom