Randomised controlled trials of homeopathy: examining the evidence
/Randomised controlled trials of homeopathy: examining the evidence
The review programme’s findings
Phase 1: Placebo-controlled RCTs of individualised homeopathic treatment (study protocol). These studies focus on ‘classical’ homeopathy, which involves in-depth consultation and an individualised prescription per patient: 32 RCTs were eligible for the review. The article reporting the findings was published in the journal Systematic Reviews in December 2014. Its statistical analysis identified an effect of individually prescribed homeopathic medicines that was greater than that of placebos and was statistically significant.
Phase 2: Placebo-controlled RCTs of non-individualised homeopathic treatment (study protocol). Each of these examined a homeopathic medicine pre-selected for its match with the typical symptoms of a given clinical condition: 75 RCTs were eligible for this review. The article reporting those findings was published in Systematic Reviews in March 2017.
The original literature search for the review programme included all RCT papers published up to and including 2011. Each new systematic review necessarily requires an updated search. The relevant flowchart for Phase 2 of included and excluded RCT papers updates the original search up to the end of 2014. There are associated detailed lists of RCT papers that are potentially eligible for systematic review and RCT papers that have been rejected from further analysis.
Phase 3: Other-than-placebo-controlled RCTs of individualised homeopathic treatment (study protocol). The relevant flowchart for Phase 3 of included and excluded RCT papers updates the original search to the end of 2015. There are associated detailed lists of potentially eligible RCT papers and rejected RCT papers.
Phase 4: Other-than-placebo-controlled RCTs of non-individualised homeopathic treatment (study protocol). This work is ongoing. The relevant flowchart for Phase 4 of included and excluded RCT papers updates the original search to the end of 2016. There are associated detailed lists of potentially eligible RCT papers and rejected RCT papers.
Researcher
Dr Robert Mathie attained BSc, then PhD, in Physiology at the University of Glasgow. During 25 years in the university sector, he published around 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, mostly on the topic of blood flow regulation. He then held the post of Research Development Adviser at the British Homeopathic Association for 15 years during which he led clinical data collection projects with the Faculty of Homeopathy’s doctors, dentists and veterinarians. Latterly, in a key initiative to identify robust evidence in homeopathy, Robert has extended his work in reviewing and clarifying the research literature by means of a major programme of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials. His research publications in homeopathy currently total more than 30. Robert became an independent research consultant in March 2016.
https://www.hri-research.org/hri-research/learning-more-from-existing-evidence/systematic-review-programme/
Publications related to this project
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised, Other-than-Placebo Controlled, Trials of Individualised Homeopathic Treatment.
Mathie RT, Ulbrich-Zürni S, Viksveen P, Roberts ER, Baitson ES, Legg LA, Davidson JRT.
Homeopathy, 2018; 107(4): 229-243 [Full text]
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of non-individualised homeopathic treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mathie RT, Ramparsad N, Legg LA, Clausen J, Moss S, Davidson JRT, Messow C-M, McConnachie A.
Systematic Reviews 2017; 6: 63 [Full text]
Randomised placebo-controlled trials of individualised homeopathic treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mathie RT, Lloyd SM, Legg LA, Clausen J, Davidson JRT, Moss S, Ford I. Systematic Reviews 2014; 3: 142 [Full text]
Randomised controlled trials of homeopathy in humans: characterising the research journal literature for systematic review.Mathie RT, Hacke D, Clausen J, Nicolai T, Riley DS, Fisher P.
Homeopathy 2013; 102: 3-24 [Abstract]
