Integration of Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) Students in a Trauma Center's Acute Pain Service: In-Person and Remote Training and Patient Care.

OBJECTIVE

Evidence of effectiveness and demand for acupuncture to treat acute pain conditions is growing, as is the need for acupuncturists trained to deliver patient care in a hospital setting. This articles describes collaboration between Bastyr University and Harborview Medical Center to incorporate Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) students into a trauma hospital setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A model was developed to integrate DAOM students into an Anesthesiology Acute Pain Service to provide acupuncture to postoperative inpatients. That in-person model pivoted to remote student education and patient self-care education during the COVID 19 outbreak. A review was conducted of 323 consecutive patients who received acupuncture while they were hospitalized.

RESULTS

The review of 323 consecutive patients who received acupuncture for pain during their hospital admission indicated that as few as one acupuncture treatment resulted in clinically significant benefits. No serious complications or safety concerns were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Collaboration between academic and clinical programs can provide the structure to integrate acupuncture into hospital settings safely and with benefit to patients and students.