Impact of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine on Patients Quality-of-life During National Emergency and Wartime

The current ongoing war in Israel, which began in October 2023 with a risk for spreading regionally across the Middle East, has presented a significant challenge to many patients, affecting also those receiving active oncology treatment. The present study examines a unique setting of care involving a diverse population of patients, including those receiving oncology treatment, from a widely diverse social, cultural and religious, background. Patients are offered integrative medicine treatments for 3 weeks with the goal of addressing war-related physical, emotional, and other quality of life-related concerns. After signing the informed consent form, patients will be randomly allocated to one of the two study interventions: acupressure-relaxation alone (Group A); or acupressure-relaxation modalities with acupuncture (Group B). The response to the study intervention for quality of life-related concerns will be re-assessed immediately; at 24-48 hours; and after 3 weeks following the treatment. Patients will also undergo objective measurements during treatment using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to determine the impact of the intervention on their QoL and concerns.

NCT Number	NCT06604455
Lead Sponsor	Carmel Medical Center
Conditions	Supportive Care
Enrollment	300 participants
Start Date	2024-08-28
Primary Completion	2025-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-06-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2024-09-19