RMIT and Northern Health test acupuncture in emergency departments

Key points

• RMIT University and Northern Health are testing acupuncture alongside standard care for patients with acute pain in emergency departments. The PANDA project at Northern Hospital aims to ease patient discomfort and possibly shorten hospital stays.
• Early findings show strong interest, with more than 90 per cent of surveyed patients saying they would consider acupuncture if it reduced their medication use. One patient who had shoulder pain said the pain was significantly less after treatment.
• The project is funded by Northern Health, RMIT and community donations.