HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by So, D. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by So, D. W. Related Collections Other Health Service Delivery Other Statistics/Evaluation/Research

Dominicus W. So, PhD

At the time of the study, Dominicus W. So, PhD, was with the Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Dominicus W. So, PhD, Howard University, Department of Psychology, Room N-269, CB Powell Building, 525 Bryant St, NW, Washington, DC 20059 (e-mail: dso{at}fac.howard.edu).

Objectives. To explore whether treatment outcomes are associated with a patient’s degree of general hopefulness, expectations regarding treatment, attributions of health status, beliefs about mind–body dualism, and patient–provider relationship factors, I studied acupuncture patients’ goal attainment.

Methods. Sixty-two acupuncture patients were interviewed before and after acupuncture regarding goal attainment, mind–body beliefs, hopefulness, and attributions of health status. Demographics, acupuncture treatment, and health care usage information was also collected. Acupuncturists provided 3 months of treatment.

Results. Patients reported treatment goal attainment from acupuncture. Their perceived outcomes were not associated with previous treatment, patient demographics, or the expected and actual numbers of needle insertion. Successful outcomes were related positively to number of different CAM treatments used in the past year but negatively to patients’ expectations and the "Powerful Others" health locus of control dimension.

Conclusions. Perceived acupuncture outcomes seem not to be related to placebo effects and patient expectations, but rather to client–practitioner relationship factors. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:1662–1667)

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. C. I. Tsao, M. Meldrum, B. Bursch, M. C. Jacob, S. C. Kim, and L. K. Zeltzer Treatment Expectations for CAM Interventions in Pediatric Chronic Pain Patients and their Parents Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med., December 1, 2005; 2(4): 521 - 527. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]