Methodology

2012

The impact of the medical speciality in primary health-care problem solving in Belo Horizonte, Brazil: homeopaths versus family doctors: a preliminary quantitative study.

Iannotti G, Melo EM.

Homeopathy. 2012 Jan;101(1):44-50.

ABSTRACT: The results of the study show that specialization in homeopathy is an independent positive factor in problem solving at primary health care level in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

 

2011

Reporting experiments in homeopathic basic research-description of the checklist development.

Stock-Schröer B, Albrecht H, Betti L, Dobos G, Endler C, Linde K, Lüdtke R, Musial F, van Wijk R, Witt C, Baumgartner S.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:639260.

ABSTRACT: Authors propose to develop a criteria catalogue serving as a guideline to improve quality of basic research in homeopathy.


 

2010

Placebo effect sizes in homeopathic compared to conventional drugs- a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Tobias Nuhn, Rainer Lüdtke, Max Geraedts

Klinik Roderbirken, Roderbirken, Leichlingen, Germany

Karl und Veronica Carstens- Stiftung, Essen, Germany

Institut für Gesundheitssystemforschung, Private Universität Witten/ Herdecke, Witten, Germany

Background
It has been hypothesised that randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of classical (individualised) homeopathy often fail because placebo effects are substantially higher than in conventional medicine.

ABSTRACT:
Objectives
To compare placebo effects in clinical trials on homeopathy to placebo effects on trials of conventional medicines.


Methods
We performed a systematic literature analysis on placebo-controlled double-blind RCTs on classical homeopathy. Each trial was matched to three placebo-controlled double-blind RCTs from conventional medicine (mainly pharmacological interventions) involving the same diagnosis. Matching criteria included severity of complaints, choice of outcome parameter, and treatment duration. Outcome was measured as the percentage change of symptom scores from baseline to end of treatment in the placebo group. 35 RCTs on classical homeopathy were identified. 10 were excluded because no relevant data could be extracted, or less than three matching conventional trials could be located.


Results
In 13 matched sets the placebo effect in the homeopathic trials was larger than the average placebo effect of the conventional trials, in 12 matched sets it was lower (P = 0.39). Additionally, no subgroup analysis yielded any significant difference.

 

 

2009

Nobel Prize winner reports effects of homeopathic dilutions

In a recent study, Professor Luc Montagnier, a French virologist who co-discovered HIV and who won the Nobel Prize in 2008, and his team report the results of a series of rigorous experiments investigating the electromagnetic properties of highly-diluted biological samples. The study demonstrates that some bacterial DNA sequences are able to induce electromagnetic waves at high aqueous dilutions. It appears to be a resonance phenomenon triggered by the ambient electromagnetic background of very low frequency waves.

 

 

2008

Understanding homeopathic decision-making: a qualitative study.

Burch AL, Dibb B, Brien SB.

Forsch Komplementmed. 2008 Aug;15(4):218-25.

ABSTRACT: the study analyses the processes that Homeopaths use to make clinical decisions. It also contributes to point out that intuition is a valuable component of decision-making for homeopathic practitioners.