Building Capacity for Complementary and Integrative Medicine Through a Large, Cross-Agency, Acupuncture Training...

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Pain Management
• Military Health

Background:

• Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) use is increasing within the Military Health System (MHS) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
• There is a need for non-pharmacological pain management options to address the opioid crisis.
• The Acupuncture Training Across Clinical Settings (ATACS) program was developed to implement CIM training system-wide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the ATACS curriculum, faculty, and trainee characteristics.
• To evaluate trainee and program developer perspectives on the ATACS program.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to the use of auricular acupuncture in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A 4-hour didactic and hands-on clinical training program focused on Battlefield Acupuncture was developed.
• Trainee learning and skills were evaluated through trainer observation and written examination.
• Provider satisfaction and auricular acupuncture use were assessed via surveys immediately post-training and one month later.

Main Results:

• Over 2,700 providers completed the ATACS training within a 19-month period.
• Trainee surveys indicated high satisfaction with the ATACS program.
• The primary barrier to auricular acupuncture use was the lack of clinical privileges.

Conclusions:

• The ATACS program provides a template for expanding CIM within the MHS and VHA.
• Lessons learned can inform future CIM training programs and evaluations.
• Further research is needed to streamline CIM credentialing, standardize documentation, and assess real-world effectiveness.