Training in self-needling and performing it as part of a clinical trial: the practitioner and patient experience.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the experience of training and performing self-needling from both the practitioners' and patients' perspective.


METHODS
A qualitative study was conducted using focus groups and interviews, nested within our multi-site randomised controlled trial, Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients with Breast Cancer. Patients allocated to self-needling across two UK study sites and all therapists who were involved in the trial were invited to participate. The interviews/focus groups were then transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically by the process of content analysis.


RESULTS
Of the 67 eligible patients, 8 (12%) contributed to the focus groups and 15 practitioners (100%), contributed to the study by either attending a focus group or being interviewed. Themes identified for patients included: the allocation to self-needling, teaching techniques and practical considerations and whether they would self-needle again. Themes identified for practitioners included: views on self-needling, teaching self-needling and future implications of self-needling.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-needling was found to be acceptable to, and manageable by, patients, and enthusiastically adopted by most practitioners. Methods of teaching self-needling need to be developed and evaluated with guidelines recommended for best practice.
School of Nursing, Social Work & Midwifery, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Joy
J
Bardy
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Peter
P
Mackereth
Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kings College London, London, UK.
Jennifer
J
Finnegan-John
School of Nursing, Social Work & Midwifery, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Alexander
A
Molassiotis
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care
ACUPUNCTURE