Research & Evaluation
The Integrated Medicine Programme includes ongoing research and evaluation activities. Research and evaluation are to be utilised in order to generate meaningful data and produce informative resources for both internal and external audiences. For instance, systematic evaluations are to be used as a critical tool in gathering feedback on the various services and projects that are offered by the charity. Such evaluations form part of a healthy ongoing process to review performance, to identify opportunities for improvement, but most importantly to hear what the users and Health Professionals have to say about the services that we offer. These evaluations will help guide service practice as well as provide evidence of service performance for members of the public to access.Aside from evaluations, the Integrated Medicine team are currently working on other research activities including areas of, patient benefit, patient safety, service user involvement, children’s services.
A Randomised Trail of Healing Therapy in a Gastroenterology Outpatient Setting (2010 -13)
In January 2013 Freshwinds in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust have now completed a study on the benefits of Healing Therapy in patients diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) within an outpatient setting on 200 patients. The study evaluated the effectiveness of healing therapy (alongside usual management) in symptom control and measures of the quality of life of patients. Results from this study will help to contribute to the existing evidence base on complementary therapies and inform physicians, health managers and commissioners on the efficacy of healing therapy and its role within a conventional medical care setting. The study is currenlty being written up for publication later this year. The trail was funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
Complementary therapy service as part of End of Life community care to offer the choice to patients to remain at home. Report summarises results for symptom control, well-being and economic benefits as well as patient home deaths of 45%. 66% had improvement in pain symptoms and only 3% were experiencing anxiety.
Progress made at the end of Yr 1 on reducing Avoidable emergency hospital admissions in individuals at risk of (EHA). The report shows a 69% average risk reduction of an EHA.
Article on the CCTN published in FACT, vol 17, Issue 2, 11 May 2012.
A report on Children & Family Workshops teaching children and their parents/carers therapeutic skills to enable symptom control and relationship building.
A summary of feedback gathered from the parents/carers of children diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, who have accessed complementary therapies to treat their children. This report was produced as part of a network-wide study of the Children’s Complementary Therapy Network (CCTN) UK.