Perspectives on Acupuncture in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The opioid crisis catalyzed a national drive to better utilize non-pharmacologic pain management. To our knowledge, no study has examined staff, parent, or patient perspectives on acupuncture implementation in pediatric emergency departments (PED). OBJECTIVE: To understand staff, parent, and patient attitudes and barriers related to PED acupuncture. METHODS: We conducted 2 studies at 2 PEDs within a single children’s health system (125,000 visits/year). In Study 1, English-speaking patients (12-18 years), parents, and ED staff (child life specialists, nurses, physicians) completed anonymous surveys exploring factors associated with acceptability of PED …