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Distant healing — An “update” of a systematic review

Geistheilung — Ein „Update” eines systematischen Reviews

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Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Zusammenfassung

Ziel

Einen „Update” eines publizierten systematischen Reviews klinischer Studien zum Thema Geistheilung zu erstellen.

Design

Systematisches Review.

Quellen

Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library und eigene Unterlagen.

Studienauswahl

Klinische Studien jeder Art zum Thema Geistheilung, die zwischen 2000 und Dezember 2002 publiziert wurden.

Dataextraktion

Zu jeder inkludierten Studie wurden wesentliche Daten extrahiert und in narrativer Form zusammengefasst.

Ergebnisse

8 nicht-randomisierte und 9 randomisierte klinische Studien wurden aufgefunden. Die Mehrzahl der methodisch hochstehenden Studien stützen die These nicht, dass Geistheilung mit spezifischen Therapieeffekten assoziert ist. Die Ergebnisse von zwei Studien schließlich implizieren, dass Geistheilung mit unerwünschten Nebenwirkungen assoziiert sein kann.

Schlussfolgerung

Seit der Publikation unseres systematischen Reviews im Jahr 2000 sind zum Thema Geistheilung mehrere aussagekräftige Studien erschienen. Dieses neue Datenmaterial ist ingesamt weniger positiv und spricht nicht für die These, dass Geistheilung mit mehr als einem Plazebo-Effekt assoziiert ist.

Summary

Aim

To update our published systematic review of clinical trials of distant healing.

Design

Systematic review.

Data sources

Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and personal files.

Study selection

Any type of clinical study of any type of distant healing published between 2000 and December 2002.

Data extraction

For each included study, essential data were extracted and summarised in narrative form.

Results

8 non-randomised and 9 randomised clinical trials were located. The majority of the rigorous trials do not to support the hypothesis that distant healing has specific therapeutic effects. The results of two studies furthermore suggest that distant healing can be associated with adverse effects.

Conclusion

Since the publication of our previous systematic review in 2000, several rigorous new studies have emerged. Collectively they shift the weight of the evidence against the notion that distant healing is more than a placebo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, 25 Victoria Park Road, EX2 4NT, Exeter, U.K.

    Edzard Ernst FRCP (Edin)

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  1. Edzard Ernst FRCP (Edin)
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Correspondence to Edzard Ernst FRCP (Edin).

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Ernst, E. Distant healing — An “update” of a systematic review. Wien Klin Wochenschr 115, 241–245 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03040322

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03040322

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