Feasibility of Integrating Acupuncture in Primary Care for Medically Underserved Populations

Acupuncture can be covered by health plans as a medically necessary therapy prescribed by providers. However, patients without health insurance will not have knowledge of and access to such a treatment. St. Vincent's Hope Clinic (SVC) in Galveston provides quality care to more than 6000 uninsured patients in Galveston County coupled with other social support like food pantry, housing, and utility assistance. This project will assess the benefits of acupuncture of SVC patients with chronic conditions such as headache, back pain, arthritis, and hypertension. A structured, de-identified survey will be used to collect and compare health outcomes before and after each treatment. Primary outcomes are blood pressure level, heartbeat rate, pain scale, fatigue scale, emotional status, and patient satisfaction. Data will then be entered into the UTMB information system (Microsoft excel) for analysis and reported on a quarterly basis to the SVC administrator. The data collection will be done by both acupuncture doctor, volunteer students, and Project PI. Participation in this survey is completely voluntary and patients who refuse to provide their feedback will not be denied access to other health care at UTMB. Data findings will allow providers to improve care and strengthen capacity at SVC by expanding service times or recruiting more licensed providers.