BACKGROUND: Goals were to determine the feasibility of conducting a study of Healing Touch (HT) for acute leukemia patients and to obtain preliminary data on its effectiveness. METHODS: Forty hospitalized leukemia patients completed a brief survey of HT knowledge/experience. A prospective cohort (N = 12) was invited to participate in an HT intervention (9 30-minute sessions over 3 weeks); they completed measures of distress, symptoms, and sleep (at weeks 1 and 5), and completed single item ratings of fatigue, nausea, distress, and pain immediately pre-post selected HT sessions. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze change in pre-post session ratings and distress, symptom, and sleep measures. RESULTS: Among survey respondents, 8% had used HT in the past, and 71% were interested in using HT. In the prospective cohort, there were significant pre-post session improvements in fatigue and nausea (but not in distress and pain). There were no significant changes between weeks 1 and 5 in distress, symptoms, or sleep. Ratings and qualitative feedback on HT were positive, focused mainly on feeling relaxed following HT sessions. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to recruit patients hospitalized for acute leukemia to a study of HT. Preliminary data on short-term improvements in symptoms indicate these are promising outcomes for future study.
BACKGROUND: Goals were to determine the feasibility of conducting a study of Healing Touch (HT) for acute leukemiapatients and to obtain preliminary data on its effectiveness. METHODS: Forty hospitalized leukemiapatients completed a brief survey of HT knowledge/experience. A prospective cohort (N = 12) was invited to participate in an HT intervention (9 30-minute sessions over 3 weeks); they completed measures of distress, symptoms, and sleep (at weeks 1 and 5), and completed single item ratings of fatigue, nausea, distress, and pain immediately pre-post selected HT sessions. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze change in pre-post session ratings and distress, symptom, and sleep measures. RESULTS: Among survey respondents, 8% had used HT in the past, and 71% were interested in using HT. In the prospective cohort, there were significant pre-post session improvements in fatigue and nausea (but not in distress and pain). There were no significant changes between weeks 1 and 5 in distress, symptoms, or sleep. Ratings and qualitative feedback on HT were positive, focused mainly on feeling relaxed following HT sessions. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to recruit patients hospitalized for acute leukemia to a study of HT. Preliminary data on short-term improvements in symptoms indicate these are promising outcomes for future study.
Authors: Frank Baker; Maxine Denniston; James Zabora; Adrienne Polland; William N Dudley Journal: Psychooncology Date: 2002 Jul-Aug Impact factor: 3.894
Authors: Dawn S Wilkinson; Pamela L Knox; James E Chatman; Terrance L Johnson; Nilufer Barbour; Yvonne Myles; Antonio Reel Journal: J Altern Complement Med Date: 2002-02 Impact factor: 2.579
Authors: Susan K Lutgendorf; Elizabeth Mullen-Houser; Daniel Russell; Koen Degeest; Geraldine Jacobson; Laura Hart; David Bender; Barrie Anderson; Thomas E Buekers; Michael J Goodheart; Michael H Antoni; Anil K Sood; David M Lubaroff Journal: Brain Behav Immun Date: 2010-06-30 Impact factor: 7.217