Jennifer Ong An Chi1 ,Usha Rajah1, Jahizah Bt Hassan1, Sn. Noor Aida Diana Bt Abd Wahab1
Malaysia
The objective of this study is to collect information on doctor’s perception on the role of acupuncture in pain management among doctors in tertiary and specialist hospitals.
The survey was conducted from 1-31st August 2016 through questionnaires handed out to departments in the tertiary hospital (Penang General Hospital) and specialist hospital (Seberang Jaya Hospital) in the state of Penang. The ten survey questions that were included in the survey are as follows:
Acupuncture treatment is an effective modality for pain management
Awareness that Acupuncture is an established level 1 evidence as a pain management modality
Referral of a patient for Acupuncture
Patient’s pain condition that prompted for Acupuncture referral
Timing of patient referral for Acupuncture
Reason for referral of patient for Acupuncture
Effectiveness of Acupuncture for patients that were referred
Barriers that hinder referral
Referral of patients for Acupuncture in the future
Overall impression towards Acupuncture
The survey results were calculated and interpreted as the percentage of response.
Majority of the respondents were medical officers.
Most doctors found Acupuncture as an effective modality for pain management.
More than half of the doctors were aware that acupuncture is an established Level 1 evidence as a pain management modality
The most common condition for Acupuncture referral were back pain and neck pain.
The survey results indicate that Acupuncture is considered as an effective approach in pain management
