This qualitative analysis published in 2015 (Kligler et al) was conducted to understand the experience of acupuncture treatment in specifically low-income, ethnically diverse, and medically underserved populations as part of the parent trial, ADDOPT (Acupuncture to Decrease Disparities in Outcomes of Pain Treatment). Probe questions were asked in phone interviews to 37 participants of ADDOPT, 6 to 18 months after the trial completed. Participants for this study were recruited from two equal-size lists, generated from patients who demonstrated a significant improvement in pain and another from those who did not. 8 initial interviews were conducted and subjected to a preliminary analysis, after which several questions were added for the remaining 29 interviews. An inductive thematic analysis demonstrated that three main themes of the acupuncture experience were mentioned during the interviews. The participants’ decision-making process to try acupuncture was one theme. Willingness to try something new, feeling that medications were not working, and a sense of desperation were cited as factors. The treatment process experience was another theme. Participants described different ways that acupuncture was different than their usual medical experience. Patients didn’t feel that they needed to know how acupuncture worked in order for it to be effective but many patients felt that being open to the power of the mind would produce positive results. The third theme was the impact of acupuncture on their health. Many reported the positive effects acupuncture had on stress, depression, anxiety, sleep, and gynecological issues. One limitation mentioned by the researchers was the delay in time before interviews could be started after trial due to the need to ensure with quantitative analysis that an adequate sampling of responders and non-responders in the parent trial were included. This could have led to biased perspectives from participants. Cost and access were cited for further review to address acupuncture’s potential use for care in this patient population.
Reference
Kligler B., Buonara M., Gabison J., Jacobs E., Karasz A., McKee M.D. (2015). “I Felt Like It Was God’s Hands Putting the Needles Inâ€: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experience of Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in a Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse, and Medically Underserved Patient Population. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2015, 21(11):713-9. http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.0376