Philippa Fibert, Jenny Thomas, Androulla Pillos-Smith
Consistent, routine outcome measurement in clinical practice is important, and this large dataset offers useful information. Patients came to the clinics with various conditions, but the number coming for treatment of mental health conditions is notable. Just over half of those with more than one appointment perceived meaningful improvement due to the homeopathic intervention. Continued data collection can inform service development, patient benefit and clinical research.
BACKGROUND: Reporting clinical outcome data in a unified way enables better understanding of service utilisation, patient profiles and perceived treatment benefit. Such reports may provide better representation of the homeopathic experience than randomised controlled trials, where ecological, model and external validity are often sacrificed for internal validity.
METHODS: Appointment and outcome data from Homeopathy UK clinics over six financial years are consolidated to assess trends in service usage: patient demographics, appointment patterns, remedies prescribed, and conditions seen. Clinical outcomes are documented using Outcome in Relation to Impact on Daily Living (ORIDL). Maximum ORIDL scores are calculated to capture the greatest impact of treatment to date.
RESULTS: 2,523 appointments for 1,025 patients across 12 clinics took place between 2017 and 2023. Fifty-eight percent (595/1,025) had at least one follow-up (average 2.46). 75.3% of the appointments were for female patients. The mean age was 48.3 years. The most frequently treated conditions across appointments were anxiety (10.3%), eczema (5.5%) and depression (3.6%). 20% of appointments were for mental health conditions. Main condition ORIDL scores were available for 542 patients: ≥ +1 (N = 441); ≥ +2 (N = 272), of whom N = 40 considered their main condition cured (≥ +4); negative scores (N = 4); no change (N = 97). Wellbeing ORIDL scores were available for 546 patients: ≥ +1 (N = 447); ≥ +2 (N = 272), of whom N = 29 considered their wellbeing back to normal (≥ +4); negative scores (N = 5); no change (N = 94). The most commonly prescribed remedies were Nat-mur, Sulph and Sep.
CONCLUSION: Consistent, routine outcome measurement in clinical practice is important, and this large dataset offers useful information. Patients came to the clinics with various conditions, but the number coming for treatment of mental health conditions is notable. Just over half of those with more than one appointment perceived meaningful improvement due to the homeopathic intervention. Continued data collection can inform service development, patient benefit and clinical research.