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Background: Although the available evidence is insufficient, acupuncture is used in patients suffering from chronic asthma. The aim of this pragmatic study was to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in addition to routine care in patients with allergic asthma compared to treatment with routine care alone. Methods: Patients with allergic asthma were included in a randomized controlled trial and randomized to receive up to 15 acupuncture sessions over 3 months or to a control group receiving routine care alone. Patients who did not consent to randomization received acupuncture treatment for the first 3 months and were followed as a cohort. All trial patients were allowed to receive routine care in addition to study treatment. The primary endpoint was the asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ, range: 1-7) at 3 months. Secondary endpoints included general health related to quality of life (Short-Form-36, SF-36, range 0-100). Outcome parameters were assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Results: A total of 1,445 patients (mean age 43.8 [SD 13.5] years, 58.7% female) were randomized and included in the analysis (184 patients randomized to acupuncture and 173 to control, and 1,088 in the nonrandomized acupuncture group). In the randomized part, acupuncture was associated with an improvement in the AQLQ score compared to the control group (difference acupuncture vs. control group 0.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5-1.0]) as well as in the physical component scale and the mental component scale of the SF-36 (physical: 2.5 [1.0-4.0]; mental 4.0 [2.1-6.0]) after 3 months. Treatment success was maintained throughout 6 months. Patients not consenting to randomization showed similar improvements as the randomized acupuncture group. Conclusions: In patients with allergic asthma, additional acupuncture treatment to routine care was associated with increased disease-specific and health-related quality of life compared to treatment with routine care alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the factors that make a good doctor, both from a patient and a physician perspective. Is there a connection between practicing homeopathy and being a good doctor? Methods: This was a qualitative study of homeopathically trained physicians and their patients, using observation of patient-physician interactions ( n = 29) and interviews with patients ( n = 20) and with physicians ( n = 4). Results: Patients identified the availability of time, both in itself and as a prerequisite for other physician characteristics, as the single most important factor. Other factors include scope of diagnosis/holistic approach, patient-centeredness/empathy, and perceived competence/therapeutic success. Patients did not link these factors to the homeopathic orientation of their physician, while physicians clearly made this connection. Conclusions: The findings confirm other studies of patient satisfaction and physician characteristics. The availability of time, a holistic approach, and high physician empathy lead to high patient satisfaction. Homeopathic physicians probably are more likely to exhibit these characteristics. Practice implications: Health care policy should create conditions that enable individual physicians to be 'good doctors.' For medical education, a stronger emphasis on interpersonal skills and practitioner empathy could lead to higher patient satisfaction and potentially better treatment outcomes. Homeopathy might provide a good role model for this type of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Qigong Versus Exercise Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain in Adults--A Randomized Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial" by Susanne Blodt, Daniel Pach, Theresa Kaster, Rainer Ludke, Anett Reishauer and Claudia M. Witt is presented.