Bringing Acute and Wellness Care to Underserved Populations Using Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Pragmatic Clinical Trial Using Quality of Life Measures in a Community Health Care Setting

At a time when there is so much focus in the United States on reducing the cost of health care delivery while maximizing the effectiveness of health care performance, Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture, herbal treatment, and accessory techniques) offers decision makers a tantalizing option. Traditional Chinese Medicine differs from its biomedical counterpart in that it is highly portable, inexpensive to administer, relies on a conversational diagnostic inquiry system to arrive at differential diagnosis for its patients, and has very few reported side effects associated with treatment. The World Health Organization cites acupuncture has a proven and effective treatment for 28 diseases/disorders including stroke, pain management issues and rheumatoid arthritis; the WHO lists another over 65 diseases for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed including alcohol dependence, cancer pain and diabetes mellitus. With the completion of this pragmatic clinical trial and introduction of the Constant Care method of health care delivery to underserved communities on Chicago's south side, the investigators can both utilize an effective plan of health care delivery, advance the research needed to effectively utilize Traditional Chinese Medicine as a low cost therapeutic option in this country, and successfully treat disenfranchised populations that have been traditionally overlooked and that deserve a better health and wellness care future.