Resident Physician Rowan-Virtua SOM Stratford, New Jersey
Background and Hypothesis: Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for nonspecific chronic low back pain, however its use remains limited in the US. This study expects to understand beliefs and attitudes towards acupuncture among patients with chronic pain. We hypothesize that few patients of Rowan Family Medicine have a positive attitude towards acupuncture as a treatment modality for chronic back pain.
Methods: Online and paper surveys were used to complete this cross-sectional study. Patients were recruited during office visits at Rowan Family Medicine clinic in Stratford, Washington Township, and Hammonton, NJ. Only patients with chronic pain lasting greater than 3 months were included in this study, and after consent to participate, patients were provided with either online (via QR code to Qualtrics) or paper surveys based on their preference. An anonymous survey questionnaire was used to obtain results on a Likert scale. The responses were analyzed in SPSS.
Results: Twenty-seven patients participated in the survey. Two patients did not meet the inclusion criteria. One patient partially completed the survey questionnaire. Three participants indicated they received acupuncture in the past. A majority of participants did not know enough about acupuncture and its role in back pain. Sixty percent of participants wanted to talk about acupuncture with a health care provider. Fifty-six percent of patients were not hesitant to receive acupuncture despite lack of evidence. Forty-seven percent of patients were interested in acupuncture only with insurance coverage. Most patients did not think acupuncture requires a religious belief for it to work. More in-depth analyses are forthcoming.
Conclusion: This study suggests people are interested in knowing more about acupuncture and are enthusiastic in trying acupuncture despite lack of evidence. Insurance coverage is a big factor in a patient’s decision to receive acupuncture. This study brings out valuable patient perspectives despite its small sample size. Further research can be done with different population groups and geographical locations.
Acknowledgement of Research Study Sponsors and IRB: The authors thank Rowan- Virtua Family Medicine Department for their support with this project. The Study was approved by Rowan-Virtua SOM’s Institutional Review Board.
