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Homeopathy 2019; 108(04): 240-247
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1685142
Original Research Article
The Faculty of Homeopathy

Importance of Temperament in Individualized Homeopathic Prescription: Evaluation by an Open, Randomized, Pilot Trial

Najne Sultana
1   Department of Repertory, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Amitava Samanta
1   Department of Repertory, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Munmun Koley
2   Independent Researcher, Hooghly, West Bengal, India
,
Subhranil Saha
3   Independent Researcher, Howrah, West Bengal, India
› Author Affiliations
Funding We received no funding for the project. The cost of the project was borne by the authors themselves. The institutional pharmacy supplied the medicines used in the project, but the institution had no role to play in the conduct of the study and publication of the manuscript.
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Publication History

18 December 2018

21 February 2019

Publication Date:
17 May 2019 (online)

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Abstract

Background The importance of temperament in the selection of an individualized homeopathic medicine has not been evaluated systematically. The current study explored this under-researched area.

Materials and Methods A prospective, open, randomized (1:1), two parallel arms, pilot trial was performed on patients suffering from various chronic diseases. Each patient's temperament was assessed using a newly developed “temperament diagnostic questionnaire”. Outcome measures were health status using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and a visual analog scale (VAS) of patient's self-rated health, measured at baseline and at 3 months. Homeopathic medicines were prescribed on the basis of individualization, randomly with or without accounting for individual temperament, and patients grouped accordingly (temperament(+) and temperament(−)). Baseline comparability of the two groups was checked, followed by analysis of group differences. A p-value < 0.01 was considered as statistically significant.

Results Fifty protocol-compliant patients were analyzed. The two groups were comparable at baseline. Over 3 months of intervention, there was significant improvement (p < 0.01) in each group. Though improvement in the EQ-5D-5L score was greater in the temperament(+) group (mean difference, 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2 to 4.5), the change did not achieve the threshold for statistical significance (p = 0.029). Improvement in VAS score was significantly greater in the temperament(+) group than in temperament(–) patients (mean difference, 15.2; 95% CI, 4.9 to 25.4; p = 0.004).

Conclusion Considering temperament as a key element of individualized prescription may enhance health improvement from homeopathic treatment in chronic diseases. Independently replicated rigorous trials with validated scales are warranted.

Trial Registration CTRI/2018/03/012433.

Keywords

homeopathy - temperament - randomized trial - EQ-5D-5L - visual analog scale

Highlights

• A prospective, open, randomized (1:1), two parallel arms, pilot trial was performed on patients suffering from various chronic diseases.

• Patients were randomized to either temperament(+) or temperament(−) prescription groups.

• Outcome measures were EQ-5D-5L Bengali questionnaire and visual analog scale (VAS), measured at baseline and after 3 months.

• Medicines were prescribed on the basis of individualization ± temperament.

• Over 3 months of intervention, there was significant improvement in both groups, but improvement was higher in the temperament(+) prescription group than the other.

• Considering temperament as one of the key elements of individualized homeopathic prescription produced promising benefits.


Authors' Contributions

NS: Conceptualization; data curation; investigation; methodology; project administration; resources; review and editing.


AS: Conceptualization; data curation; project administration; supervision.


MK: Formal analysis; software; validation; roles/writing—original draft; writing—review & editing.


SS: Conceptualization; methodology; formal analysis; software; validation; roles/writing—original draft; writing—review & editing.


Supplementary Files

 

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