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The patient's experience of holistic care: insights from acupuncture research

Objectives: To characterize the diverse nature of peoples' experiences of acupuncture treatment for chronic health problems. Specifically, the paper addresses how this analysis deepens our understanding of holism and its relation to the therapeutic theory base. Methods: A secondary analysis of five longitudinal interview studies using a constant comparative method. Patients experienced different types of acupuncture — traditional (based on Chinese medicine) and Western-style (based on biomedicine) in a variety of settings in the UK and Australia. Results: The markedly different experiences of acupuncture treatment were best characterized in relation to the concept of holism. Being treated `as a whole person' was associated with traditional acupuncture in both private and NHS practice, but not within a research trial setting. In the trial, both patients and practitioners `played their part' in a scientific experiment. Holism was especially important to people with several health problems. Discussion: The findings suggests that the experience of holistic care, in the sense of `being treated as a whole person' is dependent on four factors: (a) the therapeutic theory that underpins the treatment; (b) structural factors such as time and setting; (c) the intention of the practitioner; and (d) the intention and needs of the patient.