TY - JOUR
T1 - Acupuncture for chronic pain within the research program of 10 German Health Insurance Funds-Basic results from an observational study
AU - Weidenhammer, W.
AU - Streng, A.
AU - Linde, K.
AU - Hoppe, A.
AU - Melchart, D.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research program on acupuncture is funded by the following German statutory sickness funds: Deutsche Angestellten-Krankenkasse (DAK), Hamburg; Barmer Ersatzkasse (BEK), Wuppertal; Kaufmännische Krankenkasse (KKH), Hannover; Hamburg-Münchener Krankenkasse (HaMü), Hamburg; Hanseatische Krankenkasse (HEK), Hamburg; Gmünder Ersatzkasse (GEK), Schwäbisch Gmünd; HZK Krankenkasse für Bau- und Holzberufe, Hamburg; Brühler Ersatzkasse, Solingen; Krankenkasse Eintracht Heusenstamm (KEH), Heusenstamm und Buchdrucker Krankenkasse (BK), Hannover.
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - Objectives: To investigate which patients receive acupuncture in the framework of statutory health insurance in Germany, how treatment was carried out, and what results were achieved. Design: Basic documentation (carried out by physician) within a prospective observational study. Setting: 454,920 patients with at least one of the three chronic pain conditions including headache, low back pain and osteoarthritis treated by 8727 medical acupuncturists (panel doctors) within the scope of a reimbursement program. Results: Fifty-three percent of the patients were treated by general practitioners, 19% by orthopaedists and 9% by internists. Eighty percent of patients were female, mean age was 53.6 (S.D. = 15.7) years. Primary indication for acupuncture was low back pain (45%), headache (36%), and osteoarthritis (12%). Median time since the initial diagnosis was 3 years. 8.4 (S.D. = 3.0) acupuncture sessions (body acupuncture) were administered on average. In 28% a concomitant treatment was reported. Effectiveness of acupuncture was rated by physicians in 22% of the patients as marked, in 54% as moderate, in 16% as minimal and in 4% as poor (unchanged). In 8% of the patients mild adverse reactions were reported, severe side effects occurred in 13 patients (0.003%). Orthopaedists rated the effectiveness of acupuncture lower, showing shortest time for face-to-face contact with the patient. More acupuncture training did not correspond to better therapeutic effect assessed by physicians. Conclusions: Acupuncture proved a highly demanded treatment option for chronic pain conditions within the German research program. Results indicate that acupuncture provided by qualified therapists is safe, and patients benefited from the treatment.
AB - Objectives: To investigate which patients receive acupuncture in the framework of statutory health insurance in Germany, how treatment was carried out, and what results were achieved. Design: Basic documentation (carried out by physician) within a prospective observational study. Setting: 454,920 patients with at least one of the three chronic pain conditions including headache, low back pain and osteoarthritis treated by 8727 medical acupuncturists (panel doctors) within the scope of a reimbursement program. Results: Fifty-three percent of the patients were treated by general practitioners, 19% by orthopaedists and 9% by internists. Eighty percent of patients were female, mean age was 53.6 (S.D. = 15.7) years. Primary indication for acupuncture was low back pain (45%), headache (36%), and osteoarthritis (12%). Median time since the initial diagnosis was 3 years. 8.4 (S.D. = 3.0) acupuncture sessions (body acupuncture) were administered on average. In 28% a concomitant treatment was reported. Effectiveness of acupuncture was rated by physicians in 22% of the patients as marked, in 54% as moderate, in 16% as minimal and in 4% as poor (unchanged). In 8% of the patients mild adverse reactions were reported, severe side effects occurred in 13 patients (0.003%). Orthopaedists rated the effectiveness of acupuncture lower, showing shortest time for face-to-face contact with the patient. More acupuncture training did not correspond to better therapeutic effect assessed by physicians. Conclusions: Acupuncture proved a highly demanded treatment option for chronic pain conditions within the German research program. Results indicate that acupuncture provided by qualified therapists is safe, and patients benefited from the treatment.
KW - Acupuncture
KW - Acupuncture training
KW - Chronic pain conditions
KW - Medical specialty
KW - Observational study
KW - Side effects
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36549015069&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ctim.2006.09.005
DO - 10.1016/j.ctim.2006.09.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 18054725
AN - SCOPUS:36549015069
SN - 0965-2299
VL - 15
SP - 238
EP - 246
JO - Complementary Therapies in Medicine
JF - Complementary Therapies in Medicine
IS - 4
ER -