Grow and Support the Hospital Practice Acupuncturist Professional Community through our 2017 Crowdfunding Campaign

updated 12.17.2017--the spring 2017 ended.  To contribute to the Project, check out our webpage and Facebook page for current options.  

Let's grow and support the Hospital Practice Acupuncturist professional community and their hospital Sponsors!  

The Hospital Practice Handbook Projects of 2017 do this from the basics of hospital practice book (Introduction to Hospital Practice for Acupuncturists) to the pilot project style Data Survey Project (collecting data about current acupuncturist hospital practice professionals, the very first survey!) to the "sharing wisdom" record-able webinar series.  Contribute to build this resource, get these projects up and running and be part of this engaged community!

You can support the 2017 Hospital Handbook Projects by contributing at our website and checking out our Gift Ideas and Resources links on the Gift Idea page.

Contribute directly to the website if you want as much of your contribution to go directly to Project costs as possible.

Thank you for supporting this work and this community!

Related blogposts
Gift Idea and Resource Recommendations Page

Our 2017 Campaign has Launched! 

Campaign for the 2017 Projects  

Creating Resources to Grow and Connect the Integrative Medicine Hospital Practice community

What is the Project?  
What is a Hospital Sponsor?

Check out our new Facebook Page
Featured Perk:  Kids and Parents Learning Package
Featured Perk:  Friend of Integrative Medicine
Featured Perk:  Nutrition, the whole foods and integrative medicine approaches
Reflective Readings to Inspire Your Day

Featured Perk:  Are you in the Present Moment?  learning about mindfulness

Love Chocolate?  

FDA Pain Guideline Recommends Acupuncture

Do you want to follow our work?  Just subscribe to this blog, and join the contact list on the website, and follow our Facebook page

Creating Resources to Grow and Connect the Hospital Practice Integrative Medicine Community

The Hospital Handbook Projects of 2017--Creating more Resources to Grow and Connect the Hospital Practice Integrative Medicine Community!

The Hospital Handbook Project is about creating community and connecting that community (hospital practice acupuncturists and their hospital sponsors/hospital administrators) to published resources.

There are barriers to working in medical facilities. The primary barrier has been that we are new to the system. Often each time an Acupuncturist (EAMP) is hired, he or she is the first EAMP in the system, so the problem of "re-inventing the wheel" is common.

Instead of existing in silos, this Project endeavors to create connections, community, and share wisdom.

At the Project, we are creating a set of published resources and connecting hospital practitioners to resources already published, this work is a ladder over the barrier. You still need to get moving to climb it and land on the other side with your sponsor. But this work sets up your program/clinic so it is better poised for success, by learning from the wisdom of others. This is what the Hospital Practice living resource aims to do.

Mission: Create a resource of basic standards and guidelines for hospital practice while creating community of hospital practice Acupuncturists to discuss standards, guidelines, best practices, and share wisdom.

Please contribute to the Hospital Handbook Project today to get these projects off the ground in 2017!  

You can be part of building this community resource by contributing via the website or the campaign page today!

Thank you.
Megan

Related blogposts:

Our 2017 Campaign has Launched! 

Campaign for the 2017 Projects  

Creating Resources to Grow and Connect the Integrative Medicine Hospital Practice community
What is the Project?
Support Acupuncturists and their Hospital Administrators (Sponsors)
Check out our new Facebook Page
Featured Perk:  Kids and Parents Learning Package
Featured Perk:  Nutrition, the whole foods and integrative medicine approachese

Featured Perk:  Friend of Integrative Medicine
Reflective Readings to Inspire Your Day

Featured Perk:  Are you in the Present Moment?  learning about mindfulness

Love Chocolate?  

FDA Pain Guideline Recommends Acupuncture

Do you want to follow our work?  Just contribute to our fundraiser, subscribe to this blog, and join the contact list on the website.

Crowdfunding Campaign for 2017 Hospital Handbook Projects

Happy Spring!
Our very first crowdfunding campaign is launching this week.
Goal:  to get the 2017 Hospital Handbook Projects off the ground!

Trillium blooming in local hospital healing garden.
photo credit:  Megan Kingsley Gale

Check out the campaign page on Indiegogo for more information and how to contribute.
You can contribute any time on the website.

For a full list of the 2017 projects and descriptions, check out the crowdfunding campaign page.

Some of the projects include the webinar series, some resource publications, and jump-

starting the hospital practice acupuncturist data project.

To build this community resource, contribute via the website or the campaign page today!
Thank you.
Megan

related blogposts:
Related blogposts:

Our 2017 Campaign has Launched! 

Campaign for the 2017 Projects  

Creating Resources to Grow and Connect the Integrative Medicine Hospital Practice community
What is the Project?
Support Acupuncturists and their Hospital Administrators (Sponsors)
Check out our new Facebook Page
Featured Perk:  Kids and Parents Learning Package
Featured Perk:  Nutrition, the whole foods and integrative medicine approachese

Featured Perk:  Friend of Integrative Medicine
Reflective Readings to Inspire Your Day

Featured Perk:  Are you in the Present Moment?  learning about mindfulness

Love Chocolate?  

FDA Pain Guideline Recommends Acupuncture

Do you want to follow our work?  Just contribute to our fundraiser, subscribe to this blog, and join the contact list on the website.

Highlights of Meridians Winter 2017 issue

The Winter 2017 issue Meridians:  Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, (Meridians:  JAOM 2017 4(1)) arrived this month and I had the opportunity to read several of the articles.  Here are my notes on those I enjoyed reading most.

How to access Meridians:

If you are an NCCAOM Diplomate, the electronic edition is a free benefit, just go to the Diplomate Benefits page.  

Not an NCCAOM Diplomate?  You can buy a copy of the issue you want through the Meridians website.

Meridians  is also indexed on CINAHL and EBSCO.

Research Literacy

Jennifer Stone has a succinct, 1 page article about how to prepare a scientific paper for poster presentation, p. 18.

The review of Richard Hammerschlag's lectures [p.27] was interesting and I am looking forward to looking at the presentation conference slide link [referenced on p.28].  Dr. Hammerschlag's advice, as reported here, on double-blinded acupuncture studies, was, basically, don't do it. See the article for the explanation.

The sham vs. verum acupuncture problem.   NIH has not marked any type of study with sham acupuncture as a control as "low priority".  To learn more about why, there are a couple good explanations in this issue.  One from Dr. Hammerschlag on p. 27 and another in a full article by Ryan Davenport, "Acupuncture and RCTs:  A Critique of Sham and Verum Methodologies", p. 29-31, 44.  

30% equals clinical efficacy revised 7.3.2017

I hear this phrase quoted often in my volunteer work with systems change. I see it is quoted on p. 28,  “The classic self-assessment tool for pain evaluation has to do with measurement of pain reduction. A 30% reduction was considered successful.”
Where does this 30% number come from?  
It is a standard that originated with a well-cited article from The New England Journal of Medicine published in 1988 by Laupacis et al, "An assessment of clinically useful measures of the consequences of treatment".  30% or more change in patient-reported scores (using a validated measurement tool) is considered clinically meaningful change.
That is often interpreted as any clinical outcome that is less than 30% is not considered meaningful (as a metric--I am sure 29% improvement meant much to a patient).  And 30% or more improvement in function is considered meaningful.  So far I see this quoted in RCTs (randomized controlled trials), clinical effectiveness trials, and literature reviews.  Literature reviews that can show a minimum of 30% change (usually an improvement in symptoms or function) is useful when providing evidence of clinical effectiveness when making a change in policy whether it is facility-level, state-level, or national level policy. 

Tai Chi, a modality to improve health, balance

And, apparently, Tai Chi decreases fear of falling in the elderly.  The article starts on p. 28.

Tai Chi is a great modality to teach patients.  Are you able to offer it (class or one-on-one practice) at least weekly to patients?  Maybe your clinic or facility has a wellness center that offers ongoing classes where people can practice? Tai chi can be specific for a condition or general for wellness.

similar blogposts

on research literacy:

A good Resource webpage 
Research journals, literacy, levels to consider when publishing or perusing 

Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

keywords:  research literacy, research journal, resource

Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of East Asian Medicine.  This journal is Medline-compliant and in the following databases:
CINAHL--a nursing profession database
EBSCO--international scholarly database

In 2016 Meridians became the official journal of the National Certification Commission on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).  As such, the electronic version of the journal is offered as a free member benefit to NCCAOM Diplomates.

To view or buy current or past issues of Meridians, go to their website.
For social media updates, check out their Facebook page.

Research Literacy
Meridians has a great Resource page for Scientific Writing and Research Literacy page compiled by editor Jen Stone.
Go check out the resources available or linked to this resource page:

• 5 Short "How to" Articles on Scientific Writing
• How to Write a Pilot Study
• How to Write a Good Case Report
• CARE Case Reports:  Resources
• How to Write a Good Abstract
• CONSORT Transparent Reporting of Trials
• NIH Protocol Design Templates
• International Committee of Journal Editors
• Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICT-A)

• Poster Presentation Resources
• Federal Funding Resources
• CAM Scientific Databases
• Research Societies

Acupuncture, a covered Worker's Compensation Benefit

keywords:  worker's compensation act, state laws, legislation

Originally published in the De-Stress Vets blog, 2016.06.27

Acupuncture is one of the therapeutic procedures an East Asian Medicine practitioner (also known as Licensed Acupuncturist) uses when facilitating recovery from injury.  Acupuncture is one of several rehabilitation modalities that speed recovery from injury and help someone return to work more quickly (than not using it).  That is why it is now a commonplace procedure that is covered in worker's compensation laws.

Check your state for its requirements and laws on worker's compensation.  Here is a list of states that cover acupuncture for common workplace injuries under their worker's comp laws or acts (updated March 2016):

States where acupuncture is covered under worker’s comp benefit (29 + D.C.)

Alaska	Florida	Massachusetts	New Jersey	Pennsylvania
Arizona	Hawaii	Michigan	New Mexico	Rhode Island
California	Illinois	Minnesota	New York	Virginia
Colorado	Indiana	Missouri	Ohio	Washington DC
Connecticut	Kansas	Nebraska	Oklahoma	West Virginia
Delaware	Maryland	Nevada	Oregon	Wisconsin

As of March 2016, 29 states and D.C. cover acupuncture services for worker's comp claims

A literature survey of state law was done in March 2016.  This survey noted that the above (in chart) states and D.C. cover acupuncture for at least one condition under that state's worker's comp benefit.

Note:  state law varies.  Worker's comp laws can change each legislative session, so check in with your local office for the latest update.

Related posts:  The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Acupuncture

the Vet Choice Program

correction October 2018
For most recent information on acupuncture coverage by workers' comp, contact the AAC Info Network, which does training for Acupuncturists and their admin and billing staff on coding and billing in the field.  https://www.aacinfonetwork.com/

National Practitioner Databank

keywords:  credentialing and privileging process, hospital employment, new hire, hospital practice, malpractice insurance, adverse events

The National Practitioner Databank (NPDB) and the credentialing process

What is the NPDB?
The National Practitioner Databank tracks info on health care providers including malpractice insurance and reported adverse events.  It is standard practice in the process of hiring and credentialing a health care practitioner at a hospital to query the NPDB.  Just as background checks are standard practice.

How does it relate to or affect you?
Every health care provider who works in a medical center has an entry as a practitioner in the NPDB.
You can learn more about it and see an infographic at the NPDB website.  If you want to see what your entry looks like or if you have an adverse report, you can do a self-query.

There used to be two data banks which credentialers would have to check for a health care practitioner, the NPDB and the HIPDB.  As of May 2013, the HIPDB has been rolled into the NPDB to streamline the databank and query process.

related:  HIPDB