Evaluating the Outcomes and Patient Experience of Group and Individual Acupuncture in an NHS Cancer Care Setting: A Mixed Methods Study

By Mandy Brass - Online MSc - Advanced Oriental Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Acupuncture for cancer care is safe and effective and can be provided in group or individual settings. Previous literature has compared group acupuncture (GA) with individual acupuncture (IA) for specific cancer-related symptoms or patient experience, but has not correlated symptoms with experience between GA and IA. This service evaluation, using a mixed methods design, aims to compare GA with IA for symptom-related outcomes and patient experience and explore their interrelationships, in order to inform future development of the service.

Methods

Cancer patients referred to the acupuncture service in a UK NHS hospital received six treatments of GA or IA. Outcomes were gathered using Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW) questionnaires pre- and post-treatment. Patient experience was gathered using a self-designed questionnaire post-treatment.

Results

48 participants’ data were analysed using mixed methods. There were statistically significant improvements in symptom-related outcomes overall, with no difference between GA and IA. Patient experience was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were identified; physical and emotional change versus expectations, the gift of time and the clinical environment. Most participants had a positive experience; IA participants focused more on the relationship with their acupuncturist whilst GA participants focused more on environmental factors. For a few GA participants, the group experience was negative, but data synthesis revealed this did not impact outcomes.

Conclusion

In both GA and IA arms, symptom-related outcomes mostly improved alongside a positive experience. For those participants for whom GA was not an ideal setting, there was no effect on symptom-related outcomes.