National survey of how acupuncture education is organised for Swedish midwives.

OBJECTIVE in Sweden, acupuncture education is required before midwives can use the method in clinical practice. Courses in acupuncture are usually organised by private individuals or companies, and each health facility decides on the adequacy of the educational package. Therefore, there is no overall standard or quality control for free-standing courses of acupuncture education for midwives. The aim of this study was to survey the education given to Swedish midwives in the use of acupuncture treatment in the obstetric area. DESIGN a postal survey using a structured questionnaire. SETTING organisers of acupuncture education. PARTICIPANTS 18 acupuncture instructors. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS acupuncture courses were usually organised outside universities and colleges. The courses were similar in terms of extent and content, and were mainly based on a Western medical approach. The recommended indications were extensive despite a lack of scientific evidence. The most common instructor profile was a midwife without any academic degree. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE courses differed considerably in the extent to which they were research based. Continuing professional education for midwives should be given at the same academic level, at least, as basic midwifery education.