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Programme about NHS homeopathic hospitals

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  • 20-07-2005 7:51am
    #1
    BrendanBurgess
    Registered Users Posts: 161 ✭✭


    BBC Radio 4 Wednesday 20th July

    16:30 - 17.00 Case Notes
    Dr Mark Porter discovers how patients get referred to NHS homeopathic hospitals and for what kind of conditions. He explores the relationship between homeopathy and orthodox medicine in conversation with experts who have been trained in both.


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    #2
    Myksyk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,550 ✭✭✭Myksyk


    I missed this. Any feedback on the programme Brendan? I'm interested given some of the reader's responses to Paul O'Donoghue's 'Skeptical Eye' piece in the Times on Homeopathy which included references to Homeopathic Hospitals.


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    #3
    davros
    Closed Accounts Posts: 857 ✭✭✭davros


    There is a transcript of the programme here . And you can listen to the programme again for the next few days on the show's website.


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    #4
    Myksyk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,550 ✭✭✭Myksyk


    It's actually depressing to see an educated person (Thompson) have such a superficial grasp of the assessment of treatment outcome. I was particularly bemused at his attempts to pass off the non-specifics of therapy settings (therapist warmth, time, active listening etc etc) as an integral part of homeopathy. He's right that these things do work but they are not in any way a defining part of homeopathy.


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    #5
    SkepticOne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭SkepticOne


    What he should have asked is whether or not the diluted remedies themselves are an integral part of the therapy.

    If everything but the remedies are preserved in a control group for a double blind test, including full consultation but the remedies themselves and no significant difference is observed, then logically, the remedies themselves are having no effect.

    I get the impression that there's no interest in testing at this level. The starting point seems to be that homeopathy works and that the purpose of tests is to find out which ones work. Obviously if the thing doesn't work to start with, then double blind tests won't help determine which homeopathic remedies work better for particular conditions.


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    #6
    pH
    Registered Users Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭pH


    If a patient gets proper 'first level' diagnosis from a GP or hospital visit, then maybe a system like the NHS needs an outlet like homeopathy to dump all the hypochondriacs from the system for some placebo water.

    If people get a chat with someone who can take the time to empathise, and then prescibes 'something' there are plenty of studies to suggest that even this will alleviate symtoms (especially those manifesting in the brain - pain/stress/anxiety etc).

    The patient needs some 'hook' (or placebo) that they can believe in. Of all the options, a vial of pure water must be the cheapest and safest!


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