Author : Marcia F. Miller
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 78 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (768 download)
Book Synopsis Healing Touch and Guided Imagery as Covered Benefits in Health Care by : Marcia F. Miller
Download or read book Healing Touch and Guided Imagery as Covered Benefits in Health Care written by Marcia F. Miller and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each year increasing numbers of Americans report the use of some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the implementation of a health benefits package including CAM therapies for employees of a small, self-insured manufacturing company. A secondary analysis guided by a decision-making theoretical framework was performed using data from the primary study, which examined the cost impact of adding two CAM therapies (Healing Touch and guided imagery) to the health care coverage for some employees of the company. The primary hypothesis of the study was that the insurance expenditures of employees who did not participate in CAM therapies would be significantly higher than participating employees one year after the intervention. Other hypotheses included a cost comparison of insurance expenditures over six years, employee satisfaction, and a decision to continue to receive CAM therapy following completion of the study. Data files included insurance expenditure payouts for all employees from 1995 to 2000 following termination of the study intervention and surveys completed by the study participants (N = 41) during the year of intervention. Overall statistical analysis did not support two research hypotheses that addressed the insurance expenditures in the four years prior to the study and in the year following the study. Mean expenditures for the non-participant group of employees continued to be significantly higher than for the study participants. An examination of employee satisfaction for the study participants revealed statistically significant support for the use of Healing Touch and guided imagery. Significant decreases in pain, stress and increase in emotional well-being (decreased anxiety and depression) were reported by the study participants following therapy. Findings in this study did not support the addition of CAM therapies to a health benefits package. However, the conclusions drawn do not negate the importance of continued research to understand the roles of energy healing, mind-body interventions and other CAM therapies in managing health-related conditions and to explore cost of CAM therapy to employers and employees.