Classical ACupuncture Treatment for people with Unexplained Symptoms

ISRCTN ISRCTN99754128
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN99754128
Secondary identifying numbers 1
Submission date
05/10/2007
Registration date
10/04/2008
Last edited
04/08/2011
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Prof Nicky Britten
Scientific

Institute of Health Service Research
Peninsula Medical School
University of Exeter
St Luke's Campus
Exeter
EX1 2LU
United Kingdom

Study information

Study designA pragmatic randomised trial of usual care versus acupuncture plus usual care, with a nested qualitative study involving interviews with patients.
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)GP practice
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific title
Study acronymCACTUS study
Study objectives1. In patients who attend frequently in primary care with medically unexplained physical symptoms that have persisted for more than three months, does the addition of five-element acupuncture to usual General Practitioner (GP) care, compared to usual care alone, improve self-reported health, increase health-improving behaviours, and reduce conventional medication and general practice consultation rates?
2. How do these patients experience the process and effects of acupuncture, how do they integrate it with conventional medical care and self-care, and how does it affect their use of other health care resources?
Ethics approval(s)Lewisham Research Ethics Committee (REC) on 05/12/2007 (ref: 07/H0810/54)
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedMedically unexplained physical symptoms
InterventionBoth groups will receive usual care. The intervention group will also receive up to twelve sessions of classical five-element acupuncture over a six month period. The control group will receive the same acupuncture intervention after a six month period. The two groups will be followed up for two years.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measureThe primary quantitative outcome will be change in health status, from baseline to end of six months treatment, as measured by the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) questionnaire. MYMOP is a brief individualised questionnaire that measures change in two symptoms, one activity of daily living and general wellbeing, all measured on a seven point scale, and combined to give a single MYMOP profile score.
Secondary outcome measures1. Change in health status and wellbeing as measured by:
1.1. General Wellbeing Questionnaire (GW-B12), which has three dimensions of energy, negative wellbeing (includes anxiety and depression), and positive wellbeing
1.2. Patient Enablement Instrument
1.3. Medication Change Questionnaire, a detailed measure of medication in a weekly diary format
1.4. EuroQol-5D, a brief generic outcome questionnaire
2. Health resource use:
2.1. GP consultation rates from practice computers
2.2. Other health resource use by self-report
3. Change in health-improving behaviours and self-care: primarily by qualitative methods

Secondary outcomes measured at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after randomisation.
Overall study start date01/01/2008
Completion date31/10/2009

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants100
Key inclusion criteriaFulfill the ‘Peveler’ criteria for medically unexplained symptoms:
1. Present to GP consultation with:
1.1. The presentation of a physical symptom
1.2. The symptom had existed for at least three months
1.3. It had caused clinically significant distress or impairment
1.4. It could not be explained by physical disease. The definition of this point will be clarified by adding that of Burton (2003), as ‘physical symptoms for which no clear or consistent organic pathology can be demonstrated’
2. Have a GP consultation rate of eight or more in the previous 12 months
3. Over 18 years, male and female
Key exclusion criteria1. Under 18 years of age
2. Insufficient cognitive ability to complete the self-report questionnaires
3. Insufficient mobility and/or available transport to attend surgery for acupuncture treatment
4. Pregnant
5. A co-existent life-threatening condition, psychotic illness, severe substance abuse
6. Acupuncture treatment in the previous six months
Date of first enrolment01/01/2008
Date of final enrolment31/10/2009

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Institute of Health Service Research
Exeter
EX1 2LU
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Peninsula Medical School (UK)
Hospital/treatment centre

Institute of Health Service Research
St Luke's Campus
Exeter
EX1 2LU
England
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)1392 264859
Email charlotte.paterson@pms.ac.uk
Website http://www.pms.ac.uk/pms/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/04dtfyh05

Funders

Funder type

Research organisation

King's Fund (UK) - research grant (http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 01/06/2011 Yes No
Results article results 01/06/2011 Yes No