If You Build It, Will They Come? A Free-Care Acupuncture Clinic for Minority Adolescents in an Urban Hospital

Abstract

Objective To describe the establishment and integration of a free-care acupuncture clinic within an urban hospital with an underserved minority adolescent population and to study patient utilization. Background Surveys often show low use of acupuncture among underserved non-Asian minority populations. We hypothesized that it would be possible to integrate an acupuncture clinic into a biomedical setting. We also hypothesized that the removal of economic and logistical barriers would increase usage of an acupuncture service among minority adolescent and pediatric populations, who may otherwise have had little cultural exposure to the modality. Methods A review of the process involved in establishing a free acupuncture clinic, and an analysis of visit data. Results A free faculty-supervised student acupuncture clinic was successfully integrated into an urban hospital-based adolescent clinic serving predominantly low-income minorities. During 2004–2006, the acupuncture clinic had 544 visits for a wide range of conditions. Visits increased 65% from the first to the third year of operation. Conclusions An acupuncture service can be successfully integrated into care provided by an urban hospital that serves low-income minority and immigrant patients. Strategic removal of barriers to access can result in patients previously unfamiliar with acupuncture choosing to access the modality.

Attitudes toward acupuncture in Hong Kong

“…Survey findings show that acupuncture is used to treat chronic pain, migraine, arthritis and fibromyalgia (Burke et al, 2006;Kemper et al, 2000;Norheim and Fonnebo, 2000;Patel et al, 1989). Some people who have formed a positive perception of acupuncture have been influenced by personal experience using it (Norheim and Fonnebo, 1998;Chaterji et al, 2007) or that of their relatives and friends (Highfield et al, 2008;Mano and Davies, 2009). Others have turned to acupuncture treatment because other medical techniques failed or were contraindicated (Camp, 1986;Ytrehus et al, 2010).…”

“…At their first acupuncture appointment, participants have been found to express hope, optimism, and sometimes concrete expectations of the treatment (Bishop and Lewith, 2013). But despite the therapy's increasing popularity in Western countries, some patients have reported unfavorable views about acupuncture because of painful sensations, its perceived high cost (Shyu et al, 2010), or fear of needles (Highfield et al, 2008). When acupuncture is administered in a general-purpose Chinese medicine clinic, the smell of moxa burning may also annoy patients (Kemper et al, 2000).…”

Acupuncture as Part of a Pediatric Pain Clinic in a Safety-Net Hospital: Acupuncture Wednesday

“…IM has found increasing acceptance in academic medical centers, [31][32][33][34] as reflected by the inclusion of IM teams in conventional settings, and IM in medical curricula. [35][36][37][38] The Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine and Health lists more than 60 academic centers and their affiliates as members, 39 with many of the centers including alternative therapy options, such as meditation, massage, and acupuncture.…”

Utilization of Group-Based, Community Acupuncture Clinics: A Comparative Study with a Nationally Representative Sample of Acupuncture Users

“…[28][29][30] Community acupuncture clinics, in contrast, are not limited by disease condition or population and utilize a sliding scale for payment. Community acupuncture clinics may therefore improve access to acupuncture treatments for the working poor and other segments of the population who would not otherwise use acupuncture.…”