ABSTRACT
Case reports have been of central importance to the development of homeopathy over the past 200 years. With a special focus on homeopathy, we give an overview on guidelines and tools that may help to improve the quality of case reports. Reporting guidelines such as CARE (Case Report), HOM-CASE (Homeopathic Clinical Case Reports), and the WissHom Documentation Standard help to improve the quality of reporting and strengthen the scientific value of a case report. Additional scientific tools such as prospective outcome assessment, prognostic factor research, cognition-based medicine, and the Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homeopathy (MONARCH) score may be helpful in improving case documentation and evaluation.
Subject(s)
Homeopathy , Humans , Prospective Studies , Research ReportABSTRACT
Plans for two pilot studies concerning the homoeopathic treatment of chronic and acute otitis media are presented. The intention of these studies is not only to look at the efficacy of the homoeopathic treatment as a whole but also to investigate the efficacy of the individualized decision strategies. Based on the homoeopathic literature a selection of decision strategies has been made. The reader is asked to criticize and supplement the chosen decision strategies
Subject(s)
Otitis Media, Suppurative/diagnosis , Otitis Media with Effusion/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , AlgorithmsABSTRACT
Most prescribing indications in homoeopathy are derived from clinical experience. There is a need to revise and update them. A new method known as systematic outcome correlation, which correlates outcome as measured by a standard clinical assessment, with prescription, is described. The method uses information technology and the Read clinical classification. Preliminary results in rheumathoid arthritis are presented. The method and results are critically examined with recommendations for future developments
Subject(s)
Humans , Adult , Male , Female , Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Signs and Symptoms , Clinical Trials as Topic , Clinical Evolution , EnglandABSTRACT
Some practical results of computerized data collection are presented. Use was made of the ABIES relational database which supports a medical nomenclature called the READ classification. The Glasgow, Royal London and Bristol Homoeopathic Hospitals have been working together on this project. For practical purposes the main focus in this study has been rheumatoid arthritis. The broader objective, however, is to show the potential of systematic computerized data collection for homoeopathy in general
Subject(s)
Humans , Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Data Collection/statistics & numerical data , International Classification of Diseases , Hospital Statistics , England , Database Management SystemsABSTRACT
Large scale data collection combined with modern information technology is a powerful tool to evaluate the efficacy and safety of homoeopathy. It also has great potential to improve homoeopathic practice. Data collection has not been widely used in homoeopathy. This appears to be due to the clumsiness of the methodology and the perception that it is of little value to daily practice. 3 protocols addressing different aspects of this issue are presented. 1.A proposal to establish common basic datacollection methodology for homoeopaths throughout Europe. 2.A systematic survey of the results of homoeopathic treatment of patients with rheumatoid asthritis using quality of life and objective assessments. 3.Verification of a set of homoeopathic prescribing features for Rhus toxicodendron. These proposals are designed to be 'user-friendly' and to provide practical information relevant to daily homoeopathic practice