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Clare Relton - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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prevalence of Homeopathy use by the general population worldwide a systematic review
Homeopathy, 2017Co-Authors: Clare Relton, Katy Cooper, Petter Viksveen, Philippa Fibert, Kate ThomasAbstract:Aim: To systematically review surveys of 12-month prevalence of Homeopathy use by the general population worldwide. Methods: Studies were identified via database searches to October 2015. Study quality was assessed using a six-item tool. All estimates were in the context of a survey which also reported prevalence of any complementary and alternative medicine use. Results: A total of 36 surveys were included. Of these, 67% met four of six quality criteria. Twelve-month prevalence of treatment by a homeopath was reported in 24 surveys of adults (median 1.5%, range 0.2–8.2%). Estimates for children were similar to those for adults. Rates in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada all ranged from 0.2% to 2.9% and remained stable over the years surveyed (1986–2012). Twelve-month prevalence of all use of Homeopathy (purchase of over-the-counter homeopathic medicines and treatment by a homeopath) was reported in 10 surveys of adults (median 3.9%, range 0.7–9.8%) while a further 11 surveys which did not define the type of Homeopathy use reported similar data. Rates in the USA and Australia ranged from 1.7% to 4.4% and remained stable over the years surveyed. The highest use was reported by a survey in Switzerland where Homeopathy is covered by mandatory health insurance. Conclusions: This review summarises 12-month prevalence of Homeopathy use from surveys conducted in eleven countries (USA, UK, Australia, Israel, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, South Korea, Japan and Singapore). Each year a small but significant percentage of these general populations use Homeopathy. This includes visits to homeopaths as well as purchase of over-the-counter homeopathic medicines.
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Homeopathy for insomnia a systematic review of research evidence
Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2010Co-Authors: Katy Cooper, Clare ReltonAbstract:Summary Background Insomnia is a common problem which impacts on quality of life. Current management includes psychological and behavioural therapies and/or pharmacological treatments. Objective To systematically review research evidence for effectiveness of Homeopathy in the management of insomnia. Methods Comprehensive searches of biomedical databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane library, Science Citation Index), Homeopathy-specific and complementary medicine-specific databases were conducted. Results (A) Homeopathic medicines: four randomised controlled trials (RCTs) compared homeopathic medicines to placebo. All involved small patient numbers and were of low methodological quality. None demonstrated a statistically significant difference in outcomes between groups, although two showed a trend favouring homeopathic medicines and three demonstrated significant improvements from baseline in both groups. A cohort study reported significant improvements from baseline. (B) Treatment by a homeopath: No randomised controlled trials of treatment by a homeopath were identified. One cohort study, three case series and over 2600 case studies were identified. Conclusions The limited evidence available does not demonstrate a statistically significant effect of homeopathic medicines for insomnia treatment. Existing RCTs were of poor quality and were likely to have been underpowered. Well-conducted studies of homeopathic medicines and treatment by a homeopath are required to examine the clinical and cost effectiveness of Homeopathy for insomnia.
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'Homeopathy': untangling the debate.
Homeopathy : the journal of the Faculty of Homeopathy, 2008Co-Authors: Clare Relton, Alicia O’cathain, Kate ThomasAbstract:There are active public campaigns both for and against Homeopathy, and its continuing availability in the NHS is debated in the medical, scientific and popular press. However, there is a lack of clarity in key terms used in the debate, and in how the evidence base of Homeopathy is described and interpreted. The term 'Homeopathy' is used with several different meanings including: the therapeutic system, homeopathic medicine, treatment by a homeopath, and the principles of 'Homeopathy'. Conclusions drawn from one of these aspects are often inappropriately applied to another aspect. In interpreting the Homeopathy evidence it is important to understand that the existing clinical experimental (randomised controlled trial) evidence base provides evidence as to the efficacy of homeopathic medicines, but not the effectiveness of treatment by a homeopath. The observational evidence base provides evidence as to the effectiveness of treatment by a homeopath. We make four recommendations to promote clarity in the reporting, design and interpretation of Homeopathy research.
Edzard Ernst - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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is use of Homeopathy associated with poor prescribing in english primary care a cross sectional study
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2018Co-Authors: Alex J Walker, Edzard Ernst, Richard Croker, Seb Bacon, Helen J Curtis, Ben GoldacreAbstract:© 2018, © The Royal Society of Medicine. Objectives: Prescribing of Homeopathy still occurs in a small minority of English general practices. We hypothesised that practices that prescribe any homeopathic preparations might differ in their prescribing of other drugs. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting: English primary care. Participants: English general practices. Main outcome measures: We identified practices that made any Homeopathy prescriptions over six months of data. We measured associations with four prescribing and two practice quality indicators using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Only 8.5% of practices (644) prescribed Homeopathy between December 2016 and May 2017. Practices in the worst-scoring quartile for a composite measure of prescribing quality (>51.4 mean percentile) were 2.1 times more likely to prescribe Homeopathy than those in the best category (<40.3) (95% confidence interval: 1.6–2.8). Aggregate savings from the subset of these measures where a cost saving could be calculated were also strongly associated (highest vs. lowest quartile multivariable odds ratio: 2.9, confidence interval: 2.1–4.1). Of practices spending the most on medicines identified as ‘low value’ by NHS England, 12.8% prescribed Homeopathy, compared to 3.9% for lowest spenders (multivariable odds ratio: 2.6, confidence interval: 1.9–3.6). Of practices in the worst category for aggregated price-per-unit cost savings, 12.7% prescribed Homeopathy, compared to 3.5% in the best category (multivariable odds ratio: 2.7, confidence interval: 1.9–3.9). Practice quality outcomes framework scores and patient recommendation rates were not associated with prescribing Homeopathy (odds ratio range: 0.9–1.2). Conclusions: Even infrequent Homeopathy prescribing is strongly associated with poor performance on a range of prescribing quality measures, but not with overall patient recommendation or quality outcomes framework score. The association is unlikely to be a direct causal relationship, but may reflect underlying practice features, such as the extent of respect for evidence-based practice, or poorer stewardship of the prescribing budget.
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Definition and Main Principles of Homeopathy
Homeopathy - The Undiluted Facts, 2016Co-Authors: Edzard ErnstAbstract:Despite the current popularity of Homeopathy, many people fail to understand what it really is. A UK survey, for instance, suggested that 40 % of the public thought Homeopathy meant ‘natural or herbal medicine’. This is not just misleading; it is, as we will see, quite simply incorrect. But how can we define Homeopathy? As it turns out, a good definition of Homeopathy is more difficult to provide than anticipated.
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Homeopathy for eczema a systematic review of controlled clinical trials
British Journal of Dermatology, 2012Co-Authors: Edzard ErnstAbstract:Summary Background Homeopathy is often advocated for patients with eczema. Objectives This article systematically reviews the evidence from controlled clinical trials of any type of homeopathic treatment for any type of eczema. Methods Electronic searches were conducted in Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library with no restrictions on time or language. In addition, the bibliographies of the retrieved articles and our departmental files were hand searched. All controlled trials of Homeopathy in patients with eczema were considered. Their methodological quality was estimated using the Jadad score. Results One randomized and two nonrandomized clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. All were methodologically weak. None demonstrated the efficacy of Homeopathy. Conclusions The evidence from controlled clinical trials therefore fails to show that Homeopathy is an efficacious treatment for eczema.
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Homeopathy for cancer
Current oncology (Toronto Ont.), 2007Co-Authors: Edzard ErnstAbstract:Homeopathy is “a therapeutic method of using preparations of substances whose effects when administered to healthy subjects correspond to the manifestation of the disorder in the individual patient”.1. The discipline was developed by Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843) about 200 years ago. Hahnemann postulated that if a remedy causes a symptom in a healthy volunteer, then it can be used to treat that symptom in a patient (the “like cures like” principle). if a remedy is potentized (that is, diluted and sucussed), it becomes more rather than less effective (the “memory of water” theory). all diseases originate from the “itch” (psora), gonorrhea (sycosis), or syphilis (lues). The third of these assumptions is now all but forgotten (I suspect that homeopaths feel embarrassed by its overt incorrectness), but despite the fact that the two other axioms also fly in the face of science, they still form the basis of Homeopathy today. Initially Hahnemann was remarkably successful, and Homeopathy conquered much of the world.2. With hindsight, this early popularity probably accrued because, unlike many other therapies of the time, Homeopathy was not outright harmful. With the eventual emergence of conventional treatments that generated more good than harm, Homeopathy’s popularity faded.
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Is Homeopathy a clinically valuable approach
Trends in pharmacological sciences, 2005Co-Authors: Edzard ErnstAbstract:Homeopathy is a popular but implausible form of medicine. Contrary to many claims by homeopaths, there is no conclusive evidence that highly dilute homeopathic remedies are different from placebos. The benefits that many patients experience after homeopathic treatment are therefore most probably due to nonspecific treatment effects. Contrary to widespread belief, Homeopathy is not entirely devoid of risk. Thus, the proven benefits of highly dilute homeopathic remedies, beyond the beneficial effects of placebos, do not outweigh the potential for harm that this approach can cause.
Ted J Kaptchuk - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Homeopathy use by us adults results of a national survey
American Journal of Public Health, 2016Co-Authors: Michelle L Dossett, Roger B Davis, Ted J Kaptchuk, Gloria Y YehAbstract:We used the 2012 National Health Interview Survey to compare Homeopathy users with supplement users and those using other forms of complementary and integrative medicine. Among US adults, 2.1% used Homeopathy within the past 12 months. Respiratory and otorhinolaryngology complaints were most commonly treated (18.5%). Homeopathy users were more likely to use multiple complementary and integrative medicine therapies and to perceive the therapy as helpful than were supplement users. US Homeopathy use remains uncommon; however, users perceive it as helpful.
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A Critical Overview of Homeopathy
Annals of internal medicine, 2003Co-Authors: Wayne B. Jonas, Ted J Kaptchuk, Klaus LindeAbstract:Homeopathy is a 200-year-old therapeutic system that uses small doses of various substances to stimulate autoregulatory and self-healing processes. Homeopathy selects substances by matching a patient's symptoms with symptoms produced by these substances in healthy individuals. Medicines are prepared by serial dilution and shaking, which proponents claim imprints information into water. Although many conventional physicians find such notions implausible, Homeopathy had a prominent place in 19th-century health care and has recently undergone a worldwide revival. In the United States, patients who seek homeopathic care are more affluent and younger and more often seek treatment for subjective symptoms than those who seek conventional care. Homeopathic remedies were allowed by the 1939 Pure Food and Drug Act and are available over the counter. Some data--both from randomized, controlled trials and laboratory research--show effects from homeopathic remedies that contradict the contemporary rational basis of medicine. Three independent systematic reviews of placebo-controlled trials on Homeopathy reported that its effects seem to be more than placebo, and one review found its effects consistent with placebo. There is also evidence from randomized, controlled trials that Homeopathy may be effective for the treatment of influenza, allergies, postoperative ileus, and childhood diarrhea. Evidence suggests that Homeopathy is ineffective for migraine, delayed-onset muscle soreness, and influenza prevention. There is a lack of conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of Homeopathy for most conditions. Homeopathy deserves an open-minded opportunity to demonstrate its value by using evidence-based principles, but it should not be substituted for proven therapies.
Klaus Linde - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A Critical Overview of Homeopathy
Annals of internal medicine, 2003Co-Authors: Wayne B. Jonas, Ted J Kaptchuk, Klaus LindeAbstract:Homeopathy is a 200-year-old therapeutic system that uses small doses of various substances to stimulate autoregulatory and self-healing processes. Homeopathy selects substances by matching a patient's symptoms with symptoms produced by these substances in healthy individuals. Medicines are prepared by serial dilution and shaking, which proponents claim imprints information into water. Although many conventional physicians find such notions implausible, Homeopathy had a prominent place in 19th-century health care and has recently undergone a worldwide revival. In the United States, patients who seek homeopathic care are more affluent and younger and more often seek treatment for subjective symptoms than those who seek conventional care. Homeopathic remedies were allowed by the 1939 Pure Food and Drug Act and are available over the counter. Some data--both from randomized, controlled trials and laboratory research--show effects from homeopathic remedies that contradict the contemporary rational basis of medicine. Three independent systematic reviews of placebo-controlled trials on Homeopathy reported that its effects seem to be more than placebo, and one review found its effects consistent with placebo. There is also evidence from randomized, controlled trials that Homeopathy may be effective for the treatment of influenza, allergies, postoperative ileus, and childhood diarrhea. Evidence suggests that Homeopathy is ineffective for migraine, delayed-onset muscle soreness, and influenza prevention. There is a lack of conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of Homeopathy for most conditions. Homeopathy deserves an open-minded opportunity to demonstrate its value by using evidence-based principles, but it should not be substituted for proven therapies.
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Homeopathy for chronic asthma.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2000Co-Authors: Klaus Linde, K A JobstAbstract:Homeopathy involves the use, in dilution, of substances which cause symptoms in their undiluted form. It is one of the most widespread forms of complementary medicines and is also used to treat asthma. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of Homeopathy in people with chronic stable asthma. We searched the Cochrane Airways Group trials register, the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field trials register, the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital database, the Muenchener Modell database and reference lists of articles. Randomised and possibly randomised trials of Homeopathy for the treatment of stable chronic asthma, with observation periods of at least one week. Data extraction was done by one reviewer and checked by the second reviewer. Trial quality was assessed by the reviewers. Three trials with a total of 154 people were included. These trials were all placebo-controlled and double-blind, but of variable quality. They used three different homeopathic treatments which precluded quantitative pooling of results. The standardised treatments in these trials are unlikely to represent common homeopathic practice, where treatment tends to be individualised. In one trial, severity of symptoms was lessened in the Homeopathy group compared to the placebo group. In another trial, lung function measures and medication use showed improvement in the Homeopathy group compared to the placebo group. The third trial found improvement in both the Homeopathy and placebo groups, but no difference between the groups. There is not enough evidence to reliably assess the possible role of Homeopathy in asthma. As well as randomised trials, there is a need for observational data to document the different methods of homeopathic prescribing and how patients respond.
Gloria Y Yeh - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Homeopathy use by us adults results of a national survey
American Journal of Public Health, 2016Co-Authors: Michelle L Dossett, Roger B Davis, Ted J Kaptchuk, Gloria Y YehAbstract:We used the 2012 National Health Interview Survey to compare Homeopathy users with supplement users and those using other forms of complementary and integrative medicine. Among US adults, 2.1% used Homeopathy within the past 12 months. Respiratory and otorhinolaryngology complaints were most commonly treated (18.5%). Homeopathy users were more likely to use multiple complementary and integrative medicine therapies and to perceive the therapy as helpful than were supplement users. US Homeopathy use remains uncommon; however, users perceive it as helpful.