Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Feasibility and Acceptability of Group Acupuncture in Veterans with Hepatitis C: A Pilot Study

Taylor-Young P, Miller D, Ganzini LK, Golden S, Hansen L. Feasibility and Acceptability of Group Acupuncture in Veterans with Hepatitis C: A Pilot Study. Medical acupuncture. 2014 Aug 22; 26(4):208-214.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system is the largest single provider for patients with hepatitis C (HCV) in the United States. Many individuals with HCV experience physical and psychologic symptoms, such as pain, fatigue, and depression. In addition, current antiviral therapy for HCV is long (24-48 weeks) and has many potential side-effects. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the acceptability, adherence, and feasibility of group acupuncture in order to inform the development of a larger randomized trial (RCT). The primary aim was to describe the experience of two groups of Veterans undergoing acupuncture for symptom management: (1) Veterans who have HCV and (2) Veterans who have HCV and were currently receiving antiviral therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used a prospective descriptive design that involved both quantitative and qualitative methods a total of 39 Veterans-23 in the HCV-only group and 16 in the HCV/antiviral group-were enrolled. Participants received a maximum of 16 acupuncture sessions over 8 weeks. The main outcome measures were semistructured qualitative interviews, attendance, and recruitment records. RESULTS: Quantitative results. Adherence proportion for the HCV-only group was 74.5% and 69.9% for the HCV/antiviral therapy group. Qualitative results: Five themes emerged: (1) study participation; (2) barriers to attending acupuncture sessions; (3) timing of acupuncture sessions; (4) receiving acupuncture in a group setting; and (5) engagement and attitude regarding the VHA system. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a larger RCT, using group acupuncture would be feasible and acceptable to Veterans. This article proposes several design modifications for an RCT.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.