Table 3 ACUSAR trial: characteristics of participating trial physicians and assessment of intervention (n=46)
Mean ±sd; median (range) or n (%) | |
|---|---|
Number of acupuncture sessions/centre | 64.5; 48 (12-174) |
Number of acupuncture and sham acupuncture sessions/centre | 94.3; 72 (12-252) |
Patients/Centre | 6; 46 (27-69) |
Age (years) | 47±10; 46 (27-69) |
Female | 24 (52%) |
Medical practice prior to study initiation (years) | 20±11; 19 (1-46) |
Postgraduate specialisation | 31 (67%) |
Postgraduate education | |
- In acupuncture | 31 (67%) |
- In naturopathy | 19 (42%) |
- In homeopathy | 2 (4%) |
Acupuncture B diploma (at least 350 hours of training) | 33 (73%) |
Hours of acupuncture training | 672±462; 500 (140-2550) |
Teacher of acupuncture in accredited postgraduate courses | 16 (35%) |
Use of acupuncture prior to study initiation (years) | 14±7; 15 (1-30) |
Participation in earlier clinical trials | |
- In general | 34 (74%) |
- On acupuncture | 24 (52%) |
- With randomisation | 29 (63%) |
- With sham or placebo acupuncture | 21 (46%) |
Membership in professional societies | |
- In total | 38 (83%) |
- German Medical Acupuncture Association (DÄGfA) | 16 (35%) |
- International Society for Chinese Medicine (SMS) | 16 (35%) |
- German Association for Acupuncture and Neural Therapy (DGfAN) | 4 (9%) |
- In more than one acupuncture society | 9 (20%) |
- Others | 10 (22%) |
Patients treated with acupuncture by trial physicians in the year before the trial: | |
- In total | 420; 150 (15-5000) |
- Patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis | 58; 20 (0-550) |
Therapies used in patients in everyday practice (percentages) | |
- Acupuncture | 41% (5-100%) |
- Other Chinese Medicine therapies (e.g. Chinese herbal medicine) | 28% (1-95%) |
- Other complementary therapies | 23% (1-90%) |
- Conventional medicine | 41% (2-100%) |
Chinese diagnosis before treatment | |
- Always | 24 (52%) |
- Frequently | 20 (43%) |
- Rarely | 2 (4%) |
- Never | 0 |