Hello Kajsa. I have not seen any specific form for measuring experience with acupuncture. I think you have to use a ordinary questionnaire for satisfaction with the treatment. Then you can ask the same question twice; one "... with the treatment over all" and one "... with the acupuncture treatment". You will find a Norwegian version on this website: http://www.formi.no/helsepersonell/mer/pasienttilfredshet1/ 

This is similar with the question I am using in the Acuback study. 

The reference for the form is: Ostelo RW, de Vet HC. Clinically important outcomes in low back pain. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2005 Aug;19(4):593-607.

Thank you, Trygve! I looked at the Norwegian version, it seems really simple. (I cant access Ostelo´s article). Maybe "det enkla är det sköna" in this context! I´ll make another try to find a validated scale used for acupuncture trials - otherwise your suggestion with asking the same question twice will definatly be considered.

Hello Kajsa.

It could perhaps help to have an handgrip test. Its a validated test, the device can be procured at about 200 Euros (Janmar or the like). Exerted force is related to both metabolic activity and to subject will.

We perform this test with elderly population with good compliance and significance

See also

Fess EE: Grip strength. In Clinical assessment recommendations. 2nd edition. Edited by: Casanova JS. Chicago: American Society of Hand Therapists; 1992:41-45

Massy-Westropp NM, Gill TK, Taylor AW, Bohannon RW, Hill CL. Hand Grip Strength: age and gender stratified normative data in a population-based study. BMC Res Notes. 2011 Apr 14;4:127. doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-127. PubMed PMID:21492469; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3101655.

Hello Kajsa- maybe this publication is helpful for you

Measuring changes in self-concept: a qualitative evaluation of outcome questionnaires in people having acupuncture for their chronic health problems.

Paterson C.

BMC Complement Altern Med. 2006 Mar 16;6:7.

with kind regads wolfgang

Thank you, Wolfgang!

Kajsa

I have no experiance with that

I think you can use either a question of satisfaction with treatment . or adapting a questionnaire such as the PGI for pain.

It is a Likert scale so it can be adapted by changing the question.

dont you think??

a greeting

Dear Kajsa,

When we tract trigger points with dry needling we use a digital algometer.

Sincerely,

Miquel À.

sf36 before and after the trial and mymop before and after treatments.

digital algometer is usefull

Thanks all of you for suggestions!

SF36 (or rather the newer version RAND36) will be used, together with mymop or a similar validated simple translated scale!

(The algometer and handgrip tests might be good for measuring effect on pain and strength, but I´m looking for a test  to measure "a persons experienced effect of the acupuncture part of a complex treatment". The level of eating disturbance will be measured with EDI-3 and EDE-Q, BMI.)

Kajsa

Dear Kajsa,

I am not sure if such an instrument exists. However, you may want to adopt a grounded theory approach and ask questions to every subject. Then the answers will help you develop "themes", which ultimately become parts of a "theory" on how people experience the effect of acupuncture as part of a complex treatment. It is a qualitative research technique.

I think MYMOP2 (Messure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile version 2) is very good for Acupuncture research. 

Thanks again, Arnaldo and Qikan!

Qualitative interviews is a part of this mixed methods study. Patients will be interviewed before the treatment starts, and after four intervention months. Interviews will be analyzed with content analysis at a latent level. And MYMOP 2 might be the best validated scale for a quantitative measure of patients experience.

Kajsa