2021 American Society of Acupuncturists Survey on Acupuncturists' Backgrounds, Interests, and Attitudes toward Conducting Research

Background: It has been previously reported that acupuncturists internationally can be reluctant to engage in acupuncture research.

Purpose: Assess the beliefs and attitudes of acupuncturists in the United States toward research, along with exploring their backgrounds and interests regarding conducting acupuncture research. We aimed to capture any previous experiences in conducting research, applying research findings in their clinical practice, and their ideas on how research could be used to promote the profession.

Methods: Using the SurveyMonkey© online platform, a 21-item survey was developed by the American Society of Acupuncturists Research Committee in 2021. Areas of research background and research interests, attitudes toward research, and demographics were queried. Close- and open-ended questions were used. Statistical analyses were conducted and presented in simple tabulations with confidence intervals for central tendency, along with relevant verbatim responses presented to highlight meaningful insights from the participants.

Results: Seven hundred and eighteen respondents completed the survey. Respondents were: 1) overwhelmingly positive concerning their beliefs and attitudes toward conducting research, 2) wanting to receive resources from the professional organization regarding all queried aspects of research ranging from interpretation of research articles, conducting research, and how to obtain research funding, and 3) concerned that acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine could be usurped by biomedicine, in effect losing its rich theoretical grounding.

Conclusion: Acupuncture professional organizations should develop resources including lectures and seminars to educate and support their members on how to: 1) interpret research articles, 2) design acupuncture studies, and 3) obtain research funding.