A service evaluation study exploring the therapeutic effectiveness of a Reiki intervention in the local Community of cancer patients
Citation
Kunvardia, N. (2017) A service evaluation study exploring the therapeutic effectiveness of a Reiki intervention in the local Community of cancer patients, no. 205.
Abstract
Objective
To explore the perceived therapeutic benefits of Reiki on health outcomes in a local community
of patients attending treatment at a Cancer Treatment Centre (CTC).
Background
Reiki was introduced as a new therapy to enhance the provision of a holistic complementary
care package to patients at the Cancer Support Centre (CSC). At the time of its delivery, not a
great deal was known about its benefits, thus emphasising the need for a Reiki service
evaluation to develop an understanding based on patient experiences concerning its perceived
benefits.
Method
An exploratory service evaluation was conducted using an uncontrolled before-and-after design
with a group of inpatients (n= 75) and outpatients (n = 25) from the CTC. Reiki therapy was
evaluated using an in-house instrument comprising four surveys. Measures were taken at
baseline assessment and same-day follow-up in both inpatients and outpatients, with two
additional follow-up time points at week two and five for outpatients.
Findings
An exploration of the data indicated that Reiki can provide significant therapeutic relief for the
rest of the day and up to one week. Participants felt Reiki was helpful in improving symptoms
of pain, tension, calmness, anxiety, stress, low mood, and trouble sleeping. Positive correlations
were also found between expectations of Reiki's perceived helpfulness at baseline and
perceived symptomatic improvement in tension and calmness at follow-up. Overall, the
experiences were positive; 88% of participants stated they were likely to seek Reiki elsewhere
and 100% stated they would recommend it to others. These findings demonstrate that Reiki is
a valuable complementary therapy that is able to attenuate the stress of cancer, and its provision
within hospitals settings can improve supportive care services offered to patients.