Adverse reactions to acupuncture: Policy recommendations based on practitioner opinion in New Zealand

Abstract

Acupuncture risk/benefit assessment relies heavily on the accurate reporting of negative outcomes. For such reports to be valid they must employ standardised terms which hold the same meaning and weighting for each reporting practitioner. A postal questionnaire was undertaken to explore the understanding of descriptive and evaluative terms associated with adverse reactions to acupuncture held by a sample of New Zealand acupuncture practitioners. Volunteers were sought from the Physiotherapy Acupuncture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ) (n = 287) and Medical Acupuncture Society of New Zealand (MASNZ) (n = 58). Data were analysed using descriptive methods and a series of item reduction and decision rules. The response rate was 42% (n = 135) with a moderate endorsement (48%) for the preferred definition of an adverse reaction being any adverse effects possibly related to acupuncture making treatment necessary or severely interfering with the patient’s wellbeing. Vomiting, seizure and convulsion were all classified to be ‘adverse reactions’ in a categorisation task carried out by the respondents. A low consensus of opinion was displayed when respondents considered timeframes for reporting and patient perception was weighted as the least important factor in the decision to report an adverse reaction. Recommendations are made for future adverse reaction to acupuncture reporting policy formation based on these research findings.