Seth Haywood1,2, David Drake1,2, Gregory Condie1. 1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Virginia Commonwealth University Health, Richmond, VA. 2. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Hunter Holmes McGuire Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, VA.
Abstract
Objective: Health care providers and patients in the United States have limited experience with acupuncture. A 2007 U.S. Health survey showed that 6.5% of people reported ever using acupuncture and that most them sought relief from pain. Yet, acupuncture was also used as a preventive modality to promote overall health. This study was conducted to determine if a single training session of Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) was effective and how the session influenced residents' opinions on incorporating BFA training into residency programs. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at a single, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency program with 18 PGY2-PGY4 level residents. They were given 3-hour didactic lecture by a certified BFA instructor and then a hands-on demonstration. During the demonstration, each participant verified that he or she knew how to place 5 BFA needles. The participants were also surveyed about incorporating BFA training into residency programs. Results: After the training, 12 of the 18 participants responded to the survey. A majority of those who responded disagreed that their choice for a specific residency program would be affected by whether the program offered BFA certification. More participants than not recommended incorporating BFA into other residency program curricula. Most participants stated that that a one-time didactic and training session was adequate for learning BFA. Conclusions: Resident-physicians training in BFA techniques is effective. Residents had favorable attitudes toward this treatment and a minority intended to use the technique in their practice. BFA training can be incorporated easily in residency curricula.
Objective: Health care providers and patients in the United States have limited experience with acupuncture. A 2007 U.S. Health survey showed that 6.5% of people reported ever using acupuncture and that most them sought relief from pain. Yet, acupuncture was also used as a preventive modality to promote overall health. This study was conducted to determine if a single training session of Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) was effective and how the session influenced residents' opinions on incorporating BFA training into residency programs. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at a single, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency program with 18 PGY2-PGY4 level residents. They were given 3-hour didactic lecture by a certified BFA instructor and then a hands-on demonstration. During the demonstration, each participant verified that he or she knew how to place 5 BFA needles. The participants were also surveyed about incorporating BFA training into residency programs. Results: After the training, 12 of the 18 participants responded to the survey. A majority of those who responded disagreed that their choice for a specific residency program would be affected by whether the program offered BFA certification. More participants than not recommended incorporating BFA into other residency program curricula. Most participants stated that that a one-time didactic and training session was adequate for learning BFA. Conclusions: Resident-physicians training in BFA techniques is effective. Residents had favorable attitudes toward this treatment and a minority intended to use the technique in their practice. BFA training can be incorporated easily in residency curricula.