The impact of NHS based primary care complementary therapy services on health outcomes and NHS costs: a review of service audits and evaluations.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The aim of this study was to review evaluations and audits of primary care complementary therapy services to determine the impact of these services on improving health outcomes and reducing NHS costs. Our intention is to help service users, service providers, clinicians and NHS commissioners make informed decisions about the potential of NHS based complementary therapy services.

Methods

We searched for published and unpublished studies of NHS based primary care complementary therapy services located in England and Wales from November 2003 to April 2008. We identified the type of information included in each document and extracted comparable data on health outcomes and NHS costs (e.g. prescriptions and GP consultations).

Results

Twenty-one documents for 14 s

SUBMITTER: Wye L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2667472 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature