Experience of the acupuncture clinic in the university hospital / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

[Objective]This study was performed to clarify the benefits and challenges of the acupuncture clinic at the university hospital. <BR>[Methodology]In May, 2012 information on acupuncture clinics from the websites of 80 university hospitals in Japan was analyzed. Information on the experience of the acupuncture clinic at Mie University Hospital was provided by the department of anesthesia at that hospital. <BR>[Results]The number of university hospitals which operate acupuncture clinics was 16. Three types of acupuncture clinics were observed, first was an independent center separated from the university hospital, second was a department specific to oriental medicine within the hospital, and third was a certain medical department such as anesthesia or rehabilitation. In the case of Mie University Hospital, establishment of the acupuncture clinic was proposed in 2007 as a part of collaborative works under the partnership agreement between Mie University and Suzuka University of Medical Science. The acupuncture clinic was then established as the outpatient clinic of anesthesia from 2010. The staff of the acupuncture clinic consists of three acupuncturists belonging to Mie University Hospital, and three faculty members from Suzuka University of Medical Science. A total of 2,749 medical treatments were carried out in the past two years. Through case conferences between physicians and acupuncturists, the level of acupuncture care has improved. For example, electronic medical records were shared, and medical safety management was intensified. However, the number of referrals of hospitalized patients to the acupuncture clinic fell sharply in the second year of the establishment. The main reason was thought to be that the patients who required pain management were referred to the palliative care team which had started full-fledged operation during the second year. An effort to promote cooperation between acupuncturists and the palliative care team is now in progress.<BR>[Discussion]Although there are some challenges to be overcome, establishment of the acupuncture clinic at the university hospital may help promote acupuncture based on scientific evidence, and improve the understanding of acupuncture in the entire medical community. Active proposals of treatments by acupuncturists and promotion of mutual understanding and cooperation between acupuncturists, physicians, and other health care professionals are essential for the successful establishment of acupuncture clinics.<BR>[Conclusion]Although there are several challenges to be overcome, establishment of the acupuncture clinic at the university hospital has a great significance for the promotion and development of acupuncture in Japan.

A Cross-sectional Sarvey of Patient Safisfacfion after Acupuncture Treatment in Japan / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

Recently, the importance of patient satisfaction emerged in the context of providing high-quality health care. However, the level of patient satisfaction with acupuncture treatment and the factors that influence satisfaction have not been investigated. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on the satisfaction of patients who consult acupuncture clinics and investigated factors that have a certain influence on the level of satisfaction using multivariate analysis.<BR>Subjects in the present study consisted of 2210 patients who consulted acupuncture clinics that were randomly selected from the alumni association of Meiji University of Oriental Medicine. The survey was conducted between July 10 through July 23, 2000 using our original questionnaire which consists of questions about health state and basic information about the patient, environment of the clinic, assessment of the practitioner by the patient and overall patient satisfaction with the clinic. Sampling of the subject was made using stratified random sampling method and the questionnaires were returned directly from the patient by mail.<BR>Of 2210 patients given the questionnaire, 1, 319 (59.7%) responded. Mean (SD) level of the total satisfaction with the clinic evaluated using 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) was 81.4 (13.8). Simple linear regression analysis showed that the degree of explanation given by the practitioner was significantly related to patient satisfaction, while multiple regression analysis showed that the effect of treatment, treatment skill of the practitioner, patient's reliance on the practitioner, clean environment of the consultation room, depth of the practitioner's understanding of the patient and willingness of the practitioner to answer questions were factors significantly related with the patient's satisfaction.<BR>In the present study, there was high overall satisfaction among patients consulting acupuncture clinics and the factors influencing satisfaction could be classified into three kinds : factors relating to the quality of treatment, communication factors between the patient and practitioner, and environmental factors related to the clinic.

Clinical Usefulness of Ankle Pressure index for Acupuncture Patients with Lower Back Pain / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

This study investigated the population prevalence of chronic arterial occlusion (CAO) using the ankle pressure index (API) of patients with lower back pain in an acupuncture clinic. The API was measured in 60 lumbago patients ≥ 50 years old at the Meiji College of Oriental Medicine Acupuncture Center. There were 19 patients (31.7%) with unilateral or bilateral API < 0.9, which was presumed to indicate CAO. Thirty-four patients had symptoms in the lower limbs, and 17 of 34 patients showed an API below 0.9. In all but 4 patients (13 of 17, or 76.5%), laterality of the lower API and the symptoms were noted. In conclusion, API measured noninvasively might be useful as a predictor of CAO in acupuncture clinics.