This report has three parts:-

1) Data demonstrating possible effects of Reiki on the number of times a patient visits the GP.
2) Factors to note about possible correlation between the data, the number of treatments received and whether or not the patient went on to learn how to use Reiki for self treatment (Reiki level 1)
3) Anecdotal evidence from those patients who completed a feedback form following their treatment (not included in this version of the report to maintain confidentiality)

Frequency of appointments with the GP was chosen as this was a measurable statistic common to all patients receiving Reiki. It may also be considered a measure of improvement or otherwise in the patient's health and well-being. The data does not include visits to the Practice Nurse unless the visit was in place of seeing the GP (e.g. those diverted by the triage system). An appointment was counted if it was initiated by the patient; the data does not include follow up visits instigated by the GP.

The number of patients involved is obviously too small for any results to be statistically significant and there may of course be many factors other than the Reiki treatments contributing to changes in the frequency a patient seeks appointments with their GP. That being said, the data does show patterns that are certainly of interest and which if they continued to be demonstrated over a larger group of patients, would indicate that there is value in having Reiki in the surgery at the very least in terms of 'freeing up' GP time.

The results of the study are presented in two forms; as a table and as a histogram for each patient. Numbers of visits to the GP are recorded as follows:-

Total number of visits in the 12month period prior to commencing Reiki treatments
No. visits 6-12 months prior
No. visits 0-6 months prior
No. visits during the period of Reiki treatment
No. visits 0-6 months after completion of the course of Reiki treatments
No. visits 6-12 months after completion
Total number of visits after completion

Patients received a varying number of Reiki treatments, a factor worth noting when looking at the results as there does appear to be some correlation between improvement in health and well-being and the number of treatments received.

No. treatments given:	6	5	4	3	2	1
No. patients:	2	1	3	5	7	11
Total:        29 patients

32 patients were actually given Reiki during this period but 4 no longer have computer records and so could not be included.

TABLE SHOWING NUMBERS OF VISITS TO THE GP, NUMBER OF REIKI TREATMENTS RECEIVED OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME AND REIKI LEVEL ONE TRAINING (R1).

		Time 		Visits		Visits 		Visits
		Period		to GP		to GP		to GP 
				Prior		During		After
R1	No.	Weeks	Total 	6-12 	0-6 		0-6 	6-12 	Total 
          treatments		visits	months	months		months	months	visits
*	6	12	10	7	3	0	1	0	4	
	6	20	4	0	4	2	0	4	4	
*	5	10	9	6	3	0	0	0	0	
*	4	7	7	2	5	0	0	5	5	
	4	5	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	
	4	4	6	0	6	2	0	4	4	
*	3	2	7	3	4	0	0	2	2	
	3	3	4	3	1	0	0	1	1	
	3	2	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	
	3	3	6	0	6	0	0	2	2	
	3	9	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	
	2	1	6	3	3	0	2	1	3	
*	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	
*	2	2	7	5	2	0	2	2	4	
	2	1	0	0	0	0	3	1	4	
	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	
	2	2	9	3	6	0	1	1	2	
	2	2	4	2	2	0	1	2	3	
	1	-	0	0	0	-	2	4	6	
	1	-	3	0	3	-	0	0	0	
	1	-	0	0	0	-	4	3	7	
	1	-	0	0	0	-	0	1	1	
	1	-	0	0	0	-	0	1	1	
	1	-	3	0	3	-	3	9	12	
*	1	-	4	0	4	-	3	0	3	
	1	-	5	3	2	-	0	1	1	
	1	-	3	0	3	-	0	1	1	
	1	-	4	0	4	-	2	3	5	
	1	-	7	1	6	-	11	6	17

Numbers in underlined indicate that the patient did not visit the GP at all

* indicates that the patient learned Reiki for self treatment

(e.g. 6* under 'FEWER' - means that the patient received 6 Reiki treatments, learned Reiki for self treatment and visited the GP fewer times in the time period shown.

2 under 'SAME' - means that the patient received 2 Reiki treatments and did not visit the GP at all.

3 under 'MORE' - means the patient received 3 Reiki treatments and visited the GP more often in the time period shown)

TOTAL VISITS TO THE GP IN THE 12 MONTHS FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF REIKI TREATMENTS

FEWER 		SAME		MORE

6*  5*   4*  4 	6   2 		3   2   2   1

4   3*   3   3   			1   1   1   1
 
3   2*   2   2   			1   1

2*  1*   1   1

1

( Total 17)   	 (Total 2)		(Total 10)

TOTAL VISITS TO THE GP 6 - 12 MONTHS FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF REIKI TREATMENTS

FEWER		SAME		MORE

6*  5*  3* 3	4   3   2*  2 	6   4*  4    3

2* 2   2   2  	1*  1		3   2   1    1

1				1   1   1    1

  				1   1

(Total 9) 		(Total 6) 		(Total 14)

TOTAL VISITS TO THE GP 0 - 6 MONTHS FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF REIKI TREATMENTS

FEWER		SAME		MORE

6*  6   5*  4* 	3   2*  2*  2	2   1   1   1

4   4   3*  3 	2   1   1   1                                    

3   3   2   2

2   1*  1   1

1   1

(Total 18)		(Total 8) 		(Total 4)

FACTORS TO NOTE:

Of the 18 patients who had more than one Reiki treatment, two visited a GP during the time they were receiving Reiki. All but 4 had visited the GP in the 6 months prior to Reiki.

Of the 18 patients who had more than one Reiki treatment, 6 visited the GP in the 6 month period after completing treatments. Of the 12 patients who did not visit the GP, 9 had done so in the 6 months prior to Reiki.

Of the 10 patients who visited the GP more often after receiving Reiki, 7 had received only 1 treatment.

The number of patients who saw the GP in the 12months after Reiki was reduced by 7 but the trend was upwards in the 6 –12 month period and may or may not have continued.

There did not appear to be any correlation between the number of weeks over which the Reiki was received and visits to the GP.

COMMENT

This is a very small study and definite conclusions cannot be reached but there are indications in the results:-

While patients are receiving Reiki and during the 6 month period afterwards, numbers of visits to the GP are notably reduced.

There appears to be a falling off in health and well-being in the 6 - 12 months following treatment.

Learning to use Reiki for self treatment appears to help maintain improved health and well-being. (Of the 7 patients who studied Reiki level 1, one visited the GP more often in the 6 - 12 month period, two continued not to visit and four visited fewer times).

Receiving only one treatment does not appear to be helpful. From my understanding and experience of Reiki I would suggest that this is because Reiki can bring emotions and underlying causes of illness to the surface which may not be dealt with in one session. Patients who found themselves facing these issues may have found this difficult and decided to go back to the GP rather than continuing the process with Reiki. This was certainly the cause of increased GP visits in 2 cases.

As a Reiki Practitioner/Teacher I have found the results generally positive. I will probably now advise my clients to have more than one treatment especially if they experience a 'dip' following treatment (they are already warned of this and given advice on how to deal with any reactions that may be considered 'adverse' if not understood properly). I am greatly encouraged by the effects of self treatment and will be looking at this in a future study as I continue to teach simple techniques to any of my clients who show an interest in promoting their own health.