We are thrilled to announce the publication of a new peer-reviewed article by the Acus research team in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. The article, “Critical Factors to Practicing Medical Acupuncture in Family Medicine: Patient and Physician Perspectives” was co-authored by Christy J.W. Ledford, PhD; Carla Fisher, PhD; David A. Moss, MD; and Col. Paul Crawford, MD. The research team gathered data in 2016 and 2017 through patient interviews and surveys at the Family Medicine Residency Clinic of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Read the full article here!

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Although an increasing number of physicians are completing medical acupuncture training, only half of those physicians are able to successfully incorporate acupuncture into practice. We conducted a qualitative study to identify the factors and barriers that can enhance and impede physicians’ delivery of and patients’ engagement in medical acupuncture within the family medicine clinic.

Methods: We conducted interviews with 15 family physicians and 17 patients in a US family medicine clinic that has integrated medical acupuncture into its practice. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed by 2 members of the study team in ATLAS.ti, using the constant comparative method.

Results: We identified 3 physician themes of factors/barriers that impact delivery/engagement: 1) patients’ aversion to needles, 2) time challenges, and 3) access to resources. We identified 3 additional themes from patient interviews: 1) appointment access; 2) wanting noninvasive, no side effects alternative; and 3) openness to anything.

Discussion: The factors and barriers reported by physicians/patients help illustrate conditions needed to enhance physicians’ ability to provide acupuncture and patients’ willingness to engage and sustain it. Participants’ experiences help to illustrate strategic approaches to managing these barriers—strategies that can be used by other individuals/institutions to enhance care delivery and patient engagement.

The latest Acus newsletter is out! In this edition, read about the uniqueness of service-related pain and stress, and how acupuncture can help, sometimes with just one needle. Click here for the full newsletter.

Above. Acus Preceptor, Dr. Freda Dreher, supervises military physician-students at the January training module.

In January 2018, our third cohort of military physician-students reached the halfway point in their Acus medical acupuncture training program. We are very proud of our students! They were engaged, energized, and primed to use medical acupuncture as a first line of treatment with their patients. Here are a few of their comments from the training program in January:

More on the January session in our forthcoming newsletter. The next Acus training module will take place April 27-30, 2018 in Las Vegas.

The Acus Foundation office in Berkeley, Calif. will be closed December 23-January 1, 2018. If you need to contact us over the break, please send us an email to info@acusfoundation.org.

Thank you, and happy holidays!

BERKELEY, Calif. (December 14, 2017) — Acus Foundation is thrilled to announce that founder Dr. Joseph Helms has been named by Oprah Magazine as one of fourteen 2018 Health Heroes. He also received recognition as Oprah’s 2018 Opioid Fighter.

Helms, who graduated from UCLA medical school said, “Being trained in medical acupuncture as well as conventional medicine gives physicians a choice. Instead of pills, the doctor can suggest acupuncture first.”

Helms, who graduated from UCLA medical school said, “Being trained in medical acupuncture as well as conventional medicine gives physicians a choice. Instead of pills, the doctor can suggest acupuncture first.”

This attitude of “think acupuncture first” has transformed the Family Medicine Residency at Nellis AFB where Helms trains doctors. In the one year since medical acupuncture was introduced throughout the clinic, the number of opioid prescriptions written for patients dropped 45 percent.

“Our goal is for every service member and veteran going into a primary care clinic to have an acupuncture option,” said Helms. “At Nellis, we have demonstrated that it reduces pain and stress, and helps to wean people off opioids.”

Executive Director Stephanie Hom said, “We are proud that Dr. Helms has received this honor. Now more people will learn how we can help our service members and veterans to heal their physical and emotional wounds without addiction. Soldiers write to us saying they had given up hope, but acupuncture treatments saved their lives and cured their addictions.”

Helms’s vision for Acus Foundation includes the expansion of its medical acupuncture training programs to additional Air Force Bases, other branches of the Armed Services, and the VA; broaden and also to expand Acus research projects that assess the clinical and social impacts of medical acupuncture.

Since 2015 Helms and the Acus team have trained more than 400 physicians in medical acupuncture. At the Acus flagship program on Nellis AFB every patient can receive acupuncture at every appointment, without long waiting lists or referrals.