Homeopathy 2011; 100(04): 212-219
DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2011.07.002
Original Paper
Copyright © The Faculty of Homeopathy 2011

Measuring the effectiveness of homeopathic care through objective and shared indicators

Laura Leone
1   Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e Perfezionamento Sant’Anna di Pisa, Italy
,
Maria Marchitiello
2   Ambulatorio di Medicina Omeopatica e Centro Omeopatico Materno Infantile, Azienda USL 5, Pisa, Italy
,
Michela Natilli
1   Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e Perfezionamento Sant’Anna di Pisa, Italy
,
Maria Francesca Romano
1   Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e Perfezionamento Sant’Anna di Pisa, Italy
› Author Affiliations

Subject Editor:
Further Information

Publication History

Received01 December 2009
revised26 July 2011

accepted26 July 2011

Publication Date:
20 December 2017 (online)

Objective: To test a methodology to evaluate, at population level, the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment through standard objective public health indicators.

Methods and settings: Indicators of hospitalization and drug use were obtained from the Health Statistical Documentation System of Tuscany for two homeopathic centers in the Local Health Authority of Pisa, Italy. We compared homeopathic users with the general population in the same area and by comparing patients before and after homeopathic treatment.

Results: The homeopathic patients used less drugs than the reference population, this effect was more evident for patients with repeated homeopathic consultations. A significant decrease in drug use was found on comparing the same patients before and after homeopathic treatment. Hospitalization indicators tended to favour patients who had received homeopathic treatment but were not always statistically significant.

Conclusions: This paper demonstrates a new methodological approach to assess the effectiveness of a therapeutic modality, without ad-hoc clinical trials. This methodology can be used by public health institutions in which non-conventional medicines are integrated into the public health care system.

 
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