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Homeopathy 2014; 103(01): 3
DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2013.10.001
Guest Editorial
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Homeopathy Research Institute conference in Barcelona: the first event of its kind in a decade

Alexander Tournier
,
E. Rachel Roberts
Subject Editor:
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
10 January 2018 (online)

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31st May to 2nd June 2013 saw the first homeopathy research conference organised by the newly created Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI). This event, held in Barcelona, was a timely opportunity for many homeopathy researchers from around the world to meet and share their findings.

To put this event in context, 2005 saw the publication of the Shang et al. meta-analysis published in The Lancet and heralded by its editor as ‘the end of homeopathy’.[ 1 ] , [ 2 ] The negative conclusions drawn by this study were subsequently shown to be due to poor methodology.[ 3 ] Despite this, the effects of The Lancet study continue to be seen far and wide; the ‘Evidence Check 2’[ 4 ] report by the UK Parliament's Science & Technology Committee in 2010 stated that homeopathy is placebo, an assertion repeated by the UK Chief Medical Officer in January 2013,[ 5 ] both based primarily on this one flawed study.

The continuing influence of the 2005 Lancet publication highlights the need for objective, accurate reporting of the existing literature, as well as new high-quality homeopathy research to answer key questions such as what conditions can homeopathy treat and how do homeopathic medicines work? Founded in 2007, the HRI is a charity dedicated to addressing these needs (www.homeoinst.org).

 

  • References

  • 1 Shang A., Huwiler-Müntener K., Nartey L. et al. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet 2005; 366: 726-732.
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  • 2 The Lancet. The end of homoeopathy. The Lancet 2005; 366: 690.
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  • 3 Lüdtke R., Rutten A.L.B. The conclusions on the effectiveness of homeopathy highly depend on the set of analyzed trials. J Clin Epidemiol 2008; 61: 1197-1204.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Science and Technology Committee ‘Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy’ HC 45, 22nd February 2010.
    PubMed
  • 5 Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health. Oral Evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee, Wednesday 23 January 2013.
    PubMed