A preliminary comparison of primary care use by refugees before and after acupuncture

Limited research exits on utilization and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture among underserved communities, and virtually no evidence has been published with respect to refugee populations. In this study, we examined the relationship between acupuncture and the total utilization of primary care services in a cohort of refugee patients with chronic pain.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 16 refugee patients with chronic pain at Boston Medical Center (BMC). The research was IRB-approved. Demographics and total charges associated with primary care over 18 months were collected.

Total charges associated with primary care services decreased by 50.2% in our refugee cohort in the 12 months following acupuncture treatment, equivalent to a savings of $691 per patient per month.

This preliminary review demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in total charges associated with primary care following acupuncture treatment (p=0.0308). This study suggests the need for further investigation of the relation between acupuncture and refugees with chronic pain, as well as the financial implications of this relationship. It is unclear why refugees may seek fewer primary care services after acupuncture treatment. Additional study is needed to further explore whether this relationship is generalizable to other hospital services and to other patient populations.