Education: Summary and Recommendation
Little Hover Commission 2004
Regulation of Acupuncture: A Complementary Therapy Framework
Summary
Until the new standards are implemented, and the performance of students assessed, there is no way of determining whether an increase in hours above the 3,000-hour standard is necessary - particularly if the scope of practice is focused on traditional Oriental medicine. But there are steps that can be taken to make sure that existing requirements are better preparing practitioners.
Recommendation 2: The number of educational hours should not be increased, and should be focused on traditional Oriental healing practices within a modern framework for patient safety.
Specifically, the Acupuncture Board should implement the following policies:
- Educate within scope. The State's required courses for licensed acupuncturists within schools of traditional Oriental medicine should only be for subject matter needed to competently and safely practice the legal scope of practice.
- Devote adequate curriculum to patient safety, including coordination. Once the new curriculum has been implemented, an independent evaluation should be conducted to ensure that concerns about minimum training needs have been met. Special attention should be given to patient safety training, including:
- Up-to-date infection control practices that meet the standards of the National Institutes of Health, such as exclusive use of single-use needles.
- Improving coordination with Western medicine, including recognizing "red flag" conditions, and knowing when and how to refer to and work with physicians.
- Teach within area of expertise. Courses in physiology, chemistry, biology and other sciences should be taken at colleges and universities that are accredited to grant degrees in those areas. The board also should separately consider requiring successful completion of basic science courses as a prerequisite to educational training in traditional Oriental medicine.