Patient experiences and outcomes in a virtual healing setting: A feasibility study.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: How do participants with anxiety receiving distance healing using tuning forks, experience healing sessions? What outcomes do they spontaneously report? THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: Modified grounded theory, using single interviews to learn about experiences with distant sound healing. METHODOLOGY: Standardized open-ended, qualitative interviews of 30-minute length were conducted after the intervention and analyzed using an inductive and iterative process for identifying themes, categories, and patterns in qualitative data. CONTEXT: Single-arm, pilot feasibility study of Biofield Tuning (BT) for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic delivered at a distance facilitated by Zoom (without video). SAMPLE SELECTION: A total of 15 participants were recruited to this study: 13 completed all quantitative aspects, and the 12 who completed the interviews are reported here. DATA COLLECTION: The 30-minute qualitative interviews were designed to understand the impact of virtual BT sessions on the participant's experience, anxiety, and within the larger context of their life. The Self-Assessment of Change measured subjective shifts pre and post treatment. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed using otter.ai. Two researchers read all the transcripts, identified key themes within the broader experience of sessions and outcomes categories, and came to consensus on key themes using a qualitative research analysis approach. MAIN RESULTS: Participants were surprised by the degree to which they felt sensations and heard tuning fork changes. They commented on the accuracy of the healers' perceptions and comprehension of their life experiences. Participants reported positive shifts in perceptions of themselves and their surroundings, both interpersonally and in response to triggers. The patients' own words provide insight into the lived experiences of healing, and guide future research.

Sound healing reduces generalized anxiety during the pandemic: A feasibility study.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a virtually-delivered, biofield-based sound healing treatment to reduce anxiety for individuals meeting criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. DESIGN: This one-group, mixed-method feasibility study was conducted virtually via Zoom during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic. Fifteen participants with moderate to high levels of anxiety as determined by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (≥10), were enrolled. INTERVENTION: Five certified Biofield Tuning Practitioners performed the interventions. Participants were given three weekly, hour-long sound healing treatments virtually, over a month's period. OUTCOME MEASURES: Attrition rates and reports on feasibility of intervention delivery and outcomes assessment were obtained by participants. Data on anxiety, positive and negative affect, spiritual experience, perceived stress, and quality of life were obtained via validated surveys and analyzed via repeated-measures analysis of variance with intention-to-treat. Linguistic inquiry and word count was utilized to assess changes in affective processing as reflected in participants' spoken words over the course of the intervention. Qualitative interviews were conducted to further determine tolerability and experiences with receiving BT that may not have been captured by survey and language data. RESULTS: Attrition rates were 13.3%, with two participants dropping out of the study after one session. The remaining participants reported acceptability of the data collection process and intervention delivery. Intention to treat analyses revealed statistically significant reductions in anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale), and perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) (p < .001 in all cases). Linguistic and word count analysis revealed a significant linear decrease (p = .01) of participants' use of negative affect words over the course of the intervention. Qualitative data results are reported in another paper. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that BT delivered virtually is feasible and amenable to study, and that the impact of BT may be substantial in reducing anxiety and improving mental health. This is the first study of its kind to report clinically significant reductions in anxiety levels in response to a virtually-delivered, biofield-based sound therapy. Data will be used to power a randomized controlled trial to more deeply examine the effects of BT on whole-person healing for those suffering from anxiety.

Why and How Should We Integrate Biomarkers into Complex Trials? A Discussion on Paradigms and Clinical Research Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Research in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encounters a variety of challenges, such as potentially synergistic, multimodal, and complex interventions which are often dependent on the relationship between practitioner and patient, on specific settings, and on patients' individual preferences, expectations, beliefs, and motivations. Moreover, patients seeking CAM care often suffer from chronic disease conditions, and multiple symptoms and/or pathologies. On the other hand, CAM interventions are often challenged as being solely dependent on subjective and nonspecific factors without biologically based mechanisms of action. If we agree that biomarkers as outcomes are important for the understanding of CAM interventions, a hypothesis- and strategy-driven process for the selection of the most appropriate biomarkers is needed. METHODS: This paper presents the results of an expert panel on how to integrate biomarkers in whole system research of an interdisciplinary workshop on research methodology in CAM held in November 2012. RESULTS: The following main CAM research challenges were identified: (a) finding appropriate biomarkers, which are able to picture the complex pathophysiological pathways and likewise complex interventions under study; (b) integrating these biomarkers into clinical trials in CAM; and (c) identifying the biomarkers specific to the particular CAM intervention being applied. CONCLUSION: The paper provides a disease/condition/symptom- and intervention-driven strategy regarding how to identify the outcomes of interest and possible related biomarkers. The research approach presented here allows the selected biomarkers to be grounded in conventional physiology/pathophysiology as well as complementary and alternative concepts, including traditional systems of medicine. The goal is to provide researchers in the field with a framework on how to integrate biomarkers into complex trials.

Convergent Points for Conventional Medicine and Whole Systems Research: A User's Guide.

CONTEXT: Value-based health care has emerged as a manifestation of the conventional medicine community's awareness of the overlapping needs to both better incorporate patient centeredness into practice and research paradigms and further develop a systemic approach to cost reduction. BACKGROUND: The origins of the whole systems research (WSR) movement date to the late 1990s, when the U.S. Congress legislated appropriation of funds to stimulate the U.S. National Institutes of Health to evaluate popular traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) practices. Questions immediately arose over how well these forms of practice could be measured through standard randomized controlled trials, and the WSR community began to articulate and adapt innovative methodologies for evaluating TCIM interventions. DISCUSSION: This column explores the potential impact of WSR methods and exemplars on the clinical practice and research communities seeking to successfully implement and measure the complexities of value-based health care. Four potentially cross-talking themes are specifically discussed: complex behaviorally focused interventions, patient-centered outcomes, team-based care, and resilience and well-being. CONCLUSION: The time is ripe for clinicians and investigators to capitalize on methodologies, exemplars, and learnings from the WSR literature toward improving care, developing more robust research strategies, and furthering the dialogue between the TCIM and conventional medicine communities.

Whole Systems Within Whole Systems: The Oregon Health Plan's Expansion of Services for Back and Neck Pain.

OBJECTIVES: The authors employ a Whole Systems framework to explore implementation of new guidelines for back and neck pain in Oregon's Medicaid system. Whole Systems research is useful for understanding the relationship between complementary and integrative health care (CIH) and conventional health care systems in real-world clinical and practice settings. DESIGN: Preliminary results are from an observational study designed to evaluate state-wide implementation of CIH and other non-pharmacological treatments for neck and back pain among Oregon Medicaid patients. This natural experiment, even in early stages, provides insight into the challenges of integrating Whole Systems oriented therapies into Medicaid billing and treatment. METHODS: Qualitative data are drawn from: (1) semi-structured interviews with representatives of each of the 16 coordinated care organizations (CCOs) responsible for administering the Oregon's Medicaid insurance through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP); and (2) open-ended survey responses from acupuncturists in all 16 CCO areas. RESULTS: Implementation of the new policy guidelines poses logistical and epistemological challenges. Differences in worldview, inadequate reimbursement, and simple lack of awareness of CIH among medical providers are some of the factors that pose barriers to merging CIH therapies into conventional frameworks. CONCLUSIONS: In this article, we explore the potential for a Whole Systems perspective to better explain the complexity of integrating CIH and other non-pharmacological services into a state financed health care system. Oregon's expansion of services for back and neck pain presents an opportunity to explore challenges and successes in melding multiple approaches to health and pain management into a managed system such as the OHP.

Comparative Effectiveness of Usual Care With or Without Chiropractic Care in Patients with Recurrent Musculoskeletal Back and Neck Pain.

BACKGROUND: Chiropractic care is a popular alternative for back and neck pain, with efficacy comparable to usual care in randomized trials. However, the effectiveness of chiropractic care as delivered through conventional care settings remains largely unexplored. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of usual care with or without chiropractic care for patients with chronic recurrent musculoskeletal back and neck pain. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study using propensity score-matched controls. PARTICIPANTS: Using retrospective electronic health record data, we developed a propensity score model predicting likelihood of chiropractic referral. Eligible patients with back or neck pain were then contacted upon referral for chiropractic care and enrolled in a prospective study. For each referred patient, two propensity score-matched non-referred patients were contacted and enrolled. We followed the participants prospectively for 6 months. MAIN MEASURES: Main outcomes included pain severity, interference, and symptom bothersomeness. Secondary outcomes included expenditures for pain-related health care. KEY RESULTS: Both groups' (N = 70 referred, 139 non-referred) pain scores improved significantly over the first 3 months, with less change between months 3 and 6. No significant between-group difference was observed. (severity - 0.10 (95% CI - 0.30, 0.10), interference - 0.07 (- 0.31, 0.16), bothersomeness - 0.1 (- 0.39, 0.19)). After controlling for variances in baseline costs, total costs during the 6-month post-enrollment follow-up were significantly higher on average in the non-referred versus referred group ($1996 [SD = 3874] vs $1086 [SD = 1212], p = .034). Adjusting for differences in age, gender, and Charlson comorbidity index attenuated this finding, which was no longer statistically significant (p = .072). CONCLUSIONS: We found no statistically significant difference between the two groups in either patient-reported or economic outcomes. As clinical outcomes were similar, and the provision of chiropractic care did not increase costs, making chiropractic services available provided an additional viable option for patients who prefer this type of care, at no additional expense.

Healthy foods prepared at home: Diet and support as protective strategies during pregnancy for Hispanic women.

Birth outcomes tend to be better among Hispanics than among other ethnic groups, even when matched for poverty and education, and foreign-born Latinas compared to their US-born counterparts. These patterns suggest that sociocultural factors exhibited by recent immigrants have the potential to protect birth outcomes against the instability of minority and low socioeconomic status. To discover potential sociocultural factors, a pilot qualitative study was carried out in Tucson, Arizona, with 18 Hispanic mothers. The two most prevalent factors reported were (1) a healthy diet prepared at home from minimally processed ingredients, and (2) constant and comprehensive social support. When comparing responses related to diet by interview language preference, a proxy for acculturation, there was very little difference between participants who interviewed in Spanish and those who interviewed in English. This result may be explained by greater maternal social support and higher education levels among those who interviewed in English.

Why women choose compounded bioidentical hormone therapy: lessons from a qualitative study of menopausal decision-making.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, compounded bioidentical hormone therapy (CBHT) has emerged as a popular alternative to manufactured, FDA approved hormone therapy (HT)-despite concerns within the medical community and the availability of new FDA approved "bioidentical" products. This study aims to characterize the motivations for using CBHT in a U.S. sample of ordinary midlife women. METHODS: We analyze data collected from 21 current and former users of CBHT who participated in a larger qualitative study of menopausal decision-making among U.S. women. Interviews and focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using an iterative inductive and deductive process. RESULTS: Although women's individual motivations varied, two overarching themes emerged: "push motivations" that drove women away from conventional HT and from alternative therapies, and "pull motivations" that attracted women to CBHT. Push motivations focused on (1) fear and uncertainty about the safety of conventional HT, (2) an aversion to conjugated estrogens in particular, and (3) and overarching distrust of a medical system perceived as dismissive of their concerns and overly reliant on pharmaceuticals. Participants also voiced dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of herbal and soy supplements. Participants were attracted to CBHT because they perceive it to be (1) effective in managing menopausal symptoms, (2) safer than conventional HT, (3) tailored to their individual bodies and needs, and (4) accompanied by enhanced clinical care and attention. CONCLUSIONS: This study finds that women draw upon a range of "push" and "pull" motivations in their decision to use CBHT. Importantly, we find that women are not only seeking alternatives to conventional pharmaceuticals, but alternatives to conventional care where their menopausal experience is solicited, their treatment goals are heard, and they are engaged as agents in managing their own menopause. The significance of this finding goes beyond understanding why women choose CBHT. Women making menopause treatment decisions of all kinds would benefit from greater shared decision-making in the clinical context in which they are explicitly invited to share their experiences, priorities, and preferences. This would also provide an opportunity for clinicians to discuss the pros and cons of conventional HT, CBHT, and other approaches to managing menopause.

Implementation of tobacco cessation brief intervention in complementary and alternative medicine practice: qualitative evaluation.

BACKGROUND: This article presents findings from qualitative interviews conducted as part of a research study that trained Acupuncture, Massage, and Chiropractic practitioners' in Arizona, US, to implement evidence-based tobacco cessation brief interventions (BI) in their routine practice. The qualitative phase of the overall study aimed to assess: the impact of tailored training in evidence-based tobacco cessation BI on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners' knowledge and willingness to implement BIs in their routine practice; and their patients' responses to cessation intervention in CAM context. METHODS: To evaluate the implementation of skills learned from a tailored training program, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 54 CAM practitioners in Southern Arizona and 38 of their patients. Interview questions focused on reactions to the implementation of tobacco cessation BIs in CAM practice. RESULTS: After participating in a tailored BI training, CAM practitioners reported increased confidence, knowledge, and motivation to address tobacco in their routine practice. Patients were open to being approached by CAM practitioners about tobacco use and viewed BIs as an expected part of wellness care. CONCLUSIONS: Tailored training motivated CAM practitioners in this study to implement evidence-based tobacco cessation BIs in their routine practice. Results suggest that CAM practitioners can be a valuable point of contact and should be included in tobacco cessation efforts.

Provider and patient perspectives on opioids and alternative treatments for managing chronic pain: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Current literature describes the limits and pitfalls of using opioid pharmacotherapy for chronic pain and the importance of identifying alternatives. The objective of this study was to identify the practical issues patients and providers face when accessing alternatives to opioids, and how multiple parties view these issues. METHODS: Qualitative data were gathered to evaluate the outcomes of acupuncture and chiropractic (A/C) services for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) using structured interview guides among patients with CMP (n = 90) and primary care providers (PCPs) (n = 25) purposively sampled from a managed care health care system as well as from contracted community A/C providers (n = 14). Focus groups and interviews were conducted patients with CMP with varying histories of A/C use. Plan PCPs and contracted A/C providers took part in individual interviews. All participants were asked about their experiences managing chronic pain and experience with and/or attitudes about A/C treatment. Audio recordings were transcribed and thematically coded. A summarized version of the focus group/interview guides is included in the Additional file 1. RESULTS: We identified four themes around opioid use: (1) attitudes toward use of opioids to manage chronic pain; (2) the limited alternative options for chronic pain management; (3) the potential of A/C care as a tool to help manage pain; and (4) the complex system around chronic pain management. Despite widespread dissatisfaction with opioid medications for pain management, many practical barriers challenged access to other options. Most of the participants' perceived A/C care as helpful for short term pain relief. We identified that problems with timing, expectations, and plan coverage limited A/C care potential for pain relief treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that education about realistic expectations for chronic pain management and therapy options, as well as making A/C care more easily accessible, might lead to more satisfaction for patients and providers, and provide important input to policy makers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01345409 , date of registration 28/4/2011.

Health Care Systems Support to Enhance Patient-Centered Care: Lessons from a Primary Care-Based Chronic Pain Management Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Supporting day-to-day self-care activities has emerged as a best practice when caring for patients with chronic pain, yet providing this support may introduce challenges for both patients and primary care physicians. It is essential to develop tools that help patients identify the issues and outcomes that are most important to them and to communicate this information to primary care physicians at the point of care. OBJECTIVE: We describe our process to engage patients, primary care physicians, and other stakeholders in the context of a pilot randomized controlled trial of a patient-centered assessment process implemented in an everyday practice setting. We identify lessons on how to engage stakeholders and improve patient-centered care for those with chronic conditions within the primary care setting. METHODS: A qualitative analysis of project minutes, interviews, and focus groups was conducted to evaluate stakeholder experiences. Stakeholders included patients, caregivers, clinicians, medical office support staff, health plan administrators, an information technology consultant, and a patient advocate. RESULTS: Our stakeholders included many patients with no prior experience with research. This approach enriched the applicability of feedback but necessitated extra time for stakeholder training and meeting preparation. Types of stakeholders varied over the course of the project, and more involvement of medical assistants and Information Technology staff was required than originally anticipated. CONCLUSION: Meaningful engagement of patient and physician stakeholders must be solicited in a well-coordinated manner with broad health care system supports in place to ensure full execution of patient-centered processes.

The feasibility of matching on a propensity score for acupuncture in a prospective cohort study of patients with chronic pain.

BACKGROUND: Propensity scores are typically applied in retrospective cohort studies. We describe the feasibility of matching on a propensity score derived from a retrospective cohort and subsequently applied in a prospective cohort study of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain before the start of acupuncture or usual care treatment and enrollment in a comparative effectiveness study that required patient reported pain outcomes. METHODS: We assembled a retrospective cohort study using data from 2010 to develop a propensity score for acupuncture versus usual care based on electronic healthcare record and administrative data (e.g., pharmacy) from an integrated health plan, Kaiser Permanente Northwest. The propensity score's probabilities allowed us to match acupuncture-referred and non-referred patients prospectively in 2013-14 after a routine outpatient visit for pain. Among the matched patients, we collected patient-reported pain before treatment and during follow-up to assess the comparative effectiveness of acupuncture. We assessed balance in patient characteristics with the post-matching c-statistic and standardized differences. RESULTS: Based on the propensity score and other characteristics (e.g., patient-reported pain), we were able to match all 173 acupuncture-referred patients to 350 non-referred (usual care) patients. We observed a residual imbalance (based on the standardized differences) for some characteristics that contributed to the score; for example, age, -0.283, and the Charlson comorbidity score, -0.264, had the largest standardized differences. The overall balance of the propensity score appeared more favorable according to the post-matching c-statistic, 0.503. CONCLUSION: The propensity score matching was feasible statistically and logistically and allowed approximate balance on patient characteristics, some of which will require adjustment in the comparative effectiveness regression model. By transporting propensity scores to new patients, healthcare systems with electronic health records can conduct comparative effectiveness cohort studies that require prospective data collection, such as patient-reported outcomes, while approximately balancing numerous patient characteristics that might confound the benefit of an intervention. The approach offers a new study design option.

Development and Validation of the EXPECT Questionnaire: Assessing Patient Expectations of Outcomes of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments for Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND: Patient expectations may be associated with outcomes of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for chronic pain. However, a psychometrically sound measure of such expectations is needed. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire to assess individuals' expectations regarding outcomes of CAM treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP), as well as a short form of the questionnaire. METHODS: An 18-item draft questionnaire was developed through literature review, cognitive interviews with individuals with CLBP, CAM practitioners, and expert consultation. Two samples completed the questionnaire: (1) a community sample (n = 141) completed it via an online survey before or soon after starting a CAM treatment for CLBP, and (2) participants (n = 181) in randomized clinical trials evaluating CAM treatments for CLBP or fibromyalgia completed it prior to or shortly after starting treatment. Factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity were examined. RESULTS: Based on factor analyses, 10 items reflecting expectations (used to create a total score) and three items reflecting hopes (not scored) were selected for the questionnaire. The questionnaire had high internal consistency, moderate test-retest reliability, and moderate correlations with other measures of expectations. A three-item short form also had adequate reliability and validity. CONCLUSIONS: The Expectations for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments (EXPECT) questionnaire can be used in research to assess individuals' expectations of treatments for chronic pain. It is recommended that the three hope questions are included (but not scored) to help respondents distinguish between hopes and expectations. The short form may be appropriate for clinical settings and when expectation measurement is not a primary focus.

Printed Educational Materials' Impact on Tobacco Cessation Brief Interventions in CAM Practice: Patient and Practitioner Experiences.

Printed educational materials (PEMs) have long demonstrated their usefulness as economical and effective media for health communication. In this article, we evaluate the impact of targeted tobacco cessation PEMS for use along with a brief intervention training designed for three types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners: chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage. We describe how PEMs in CAM practitioners' offices were perceived and used by practitioners and by patients. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 53 practitioners and 38 of their patients. This analysis specifically focused on developing and distributing project-related posters and pamphlets in CAM practice. Our findings indicate that materials (1) legitimated tobacco-related expertise among CAM practitioners and tobacco-related conversations as part of routine CAM practice, (2) increased practitioners' willingness to approach the topic of tobacco with patients, (3) created an effective way to communicate tobacco-related information and broaden the reach of brief intervention initiatives, and (4) were given to patients who were not willing to engage in direct discussion of tobacco use with practitioners.

Tobacco Cessation Training for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners: Results of a Practice-Based Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Brief behavioral intervention (BI) is a tobacco-cessation best practice well established among conventional healthcare practitioners. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners treat significant numbers of tobacco users, but do not systematically receive BI training. The CAM Reach study developed and evaluated a tobacco cessation BI training program/practice system intervention adapted specifically for CAM practitioners, and evaluated in real-world CAM practices. STUDY DESIGN: Single-arm intervention. Data were collected in 2010-2014 and analyzed in 2015. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Private practices of 30 chiropractors, 27 acupuncturists, 42 massage therapists (N=99), in metropolitan Tucson, Arizona. INTERVENTION: Eight-hour tobacco cessation BI continuing education workshop, in-office BI skills practice/assessment, and system intervention. Training tailored to the CAM practice setting addressed tobacco cessation best practices from the U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Seventeen items (assessing practitioner behavior, motivation, and self-efficacy with tobacco cessation) comprising three factors, Tobacco Cessation Activity, Tobacco Cessation Motivation, and Non-CAM Tobacco Cessation Comfort, were assessed at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-training by practitioner self-report. Research staff visited practices at approximately the same intervals to directly observe changes in clinical practice systems. RESULTS: At 3 months, there were significant increases in practitioners' tobacco cessation activities, motivation and confidence in helping patients quit tobacco, and comfort with providing information and referrals for guideline-based tobacco cessation aids (p<0.0001). Practitioners significantly increased rates of discussing cessation medications with patients (AOR=3.76, 95% CI=1.84, 7.68), and routinely asking about tobacco use in clinical practice (AOR=2.62, 95% CI=1.11, 6.20). Increases occurred across all three practitioner types and were sustained at 12 months-despite heterogeneity in professional training, practice patterns/organization, and practice business models. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest CAM practitioners are willing and able to offer BIs, and are an important, yet overlooked channel for promoting tobacco cessation and use of evidence-based cessation aids.

Primary care physicians, acupuncture and chiropractic clinicians, and chronic pain patients: a qualitative analysis of communication and care coordination patterns.

BACKGROUND: A variety of people, with multiple perspectives, make up the system comprising chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) treatment. While there are frequently problems in communication and coordination of care within conventional health systems, more opportunities for communicative disruptions seem possible when providers use different explanatory models and are not within the same health management system. We sought to describe the communication system surrounding the management of chronic pain from the perspectives of allopathic providers, acupuncture and chiropractor (A/C) providers, and CMP patients. METHODS: We collected qualitative data from CMP patients (n = 90) and primary care physicians (PCPs) (n = 25) in a managed care system, and community acupuncture and chiropractic care providers (n = 14) who received high levels of referrals from the system, in the context of a longitudinal study of CMP patients' experience. RESULTS: Multiple points of divergence and communicative barriers were identified among the main stakeholders in the system. Those that were most frequently mentioned included issues surrounding the referral process (requesting, approving) and lack of consistent information flow back to providers that impairs overall management of patient care. We found that because of these problems, CMP patients were frequently tasked and sometimes overwhelmed with integrating and coordinating their own care, with little help from the system. CONCLUSIONS: Patients, PCPs, and A/C providers desire more communication; thus systems need to be created to facilitate more open communication which could positively benefit patient outcomes.

Ways of Hoping: Navigating the Paradox of Hope and Despair in Chronic Pain.

In this paper, we explore hope in the context of living with chronic pain. Individuals with chronic pain from temporomandibular disorder(s) were interviewed four to five times over the course of their 18-month participation in a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We sought to understand shifts in participants' descriptions of expectations and hopefulness, particularly with regard to the work involved in counterbalancing positive thinking with buffers against disappointment. We found hope to be a dynamic and multifaceted mindset as distinct from being a single entity to be measured. Drawing upon Polanyi's concept of tacit knowing, we explore how different ways of hoping emerge and index one another in participant narratives. We offer a working typology of hope and raise as an issue the manner in which the paradox of hope--hoping enough to carry on while keeping hopes in check to avoid the ever-present possibility of despair--complicates simplistic notions of the relationship between positive thinking and the placebo response.

Acupuncture and chiropractic care: utilization and electronic medical record capture.

OBJECTIVES: To describe acupuncture and chiropractic use among patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) at a health maintenance organization, and explore issues of benefit design and electronic medical record (EMR) capture. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: Kaiser Permanente members meeting EMR diagnostic criteria for CMP were invited to participate. The survey included questions about self-identified presence of CMP, use of acupuncture and chiropractic care, use of ancillary self-care modalities, and communication with conventional medicine practitioners. Analysis of survey data was supplemented with a retrospective review of EMR utilization data. RESULTS: Of 6068 survey respondents, 32% reported acupuncture use, 47% reported chiropractic use, 21% used both, and 42% used neither. For 25% of patients using acupuncture and 43% of those using chiropractic care, utilization was undetected by the EMR. Thirty-five percent of acupuncture users and 42% of chiropractic users did not discuss this care with their health maintenance organization (HMO) clinicians. Among chiropractic users, those accessing care out of plan were older (P < .01), were more likely to use long-term opioids (P = .03), and had more pain diagnoses (P = .01) than those accessing care via clinician referral or self-referral. For acupuncture, those using the clinician referral mechanism exhibited these same characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of participants had used acupuncture, chiropractic care, or both. While benefit structure may materially influence utilization patterns, many patients with CMP use acupuncture and chiropractic care without regard to their insurance coverage. A substantial percentage of acupuncture and chiropractic use thus occurs beyond detection of EMR systems, and many patients do not report such care to their HMO clinicians.