An audit of acupuncture in general practice.

An audit was conducted to determine the effects of acupuncture treatment used in a dedicated clinic in primary care by a GP, starting shortly after first learning acupuncture. The outcome measure was MYMOP2 which was developed into the MYMOP pictorial during the course of the audit to improve patient compliance. Out of 62 patients enrolled in the audit, 55 completed both the initial and follow-up questionnaires: they had a mean age of 56 years, and included 43 women. The overall mean improvement in symptom 1 was 2.0 (standard deviation 1.6) scale points, and the improvement was significant in 30 patients (55%). Twenty-eight patients reported significant improvement in activity (58% of those reporting this section), and 23 patients (48% of those reporting) obtained a significant improvement in wellbeing. Adverse events were minor, though one patient fainted and fell to the floor. Although the conclusions of this audit are limited by its small size, nevertheless the results were generally encouraging, and the authors recommend that acupuncture should be considered for use in primary care for a wide range of complaints.