FORSKNING: Homeopathic Treatment for Chronic Disease a 6-Year Study

THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Volume 11, Number 5, 2005, pp. 793–798, © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Homeopathic Treatment for Chronic Disease: A 6-Year, University-Hospital Outpatient Observational Study

DAVID S. SPENCE, M.B., B.S., F.F.Hom., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.R.C.OG., 1 ELIZABETH A. THOMPSON, B.A., M.B., B.S., M.R.C.P., F.F.Hom., 2 and S.J. BARRON, B.Sc.1

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess health changes seen in routine homeopathic care for patients
with a wide range of chronic conditions who were referred to a hospital outpatient department.
Design: This was an observational study of 6544 consecutive follow-up patients during a 6-year period.
Setting: Hospital outpatient unit within an acute National Health Service (NHS) Teaching Trust in the United
Kingdom.

Participants: Every patient attending the hospital outpatient unit for a follow-up appointment over the study
period was included, commencing with their first follow-up attendance.
Main outcome measure: Outcomes were based on scores on a 7-point Likert-type scale at the end of the
consultation and were assessed as overall outcomes compared to the initial baseline assessments.

Results: A total of 6544 consecutive follow-up patients were given outcome scores. Of the patients 70.7%
(n  4627) reported positive health changes, with 50.7% (n  3318) recording their improvement as better
(2) or much better (3).

Conclusions: Homeopathic intervention offered positive health changes to a substantial proportion of a large
cohort of patients with a wide range of chronic diseases. Additional observational research, including studies
using different designs, is necessary for further research development in homeopathy.

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