Hospital Savings with Hypnosis

According to a report at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, bringing hypnosis into the operating theatre could dramatically reduce the cost of some medical procedures. Total costs to cover staff care and drugs during operation and recovery could be cut in half for most procedures.

The National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the U.S National Institutes of Health funded the study. Researchers followed 241 patients undergoing operations. The patients were divided into three groups, each being offered a standard healthcare package including pain-relieving drugs. The second group were also given additional empathetic support through their recovery while the third group were given self-hypnotic relaxation therapy prior to operation.

The study reported that the group offered hypnosis took less time to recover, used less pain-relieving medication and experienced less pain during their procedures. The average total cost of a procedure was estimated at $638, whilst using hypnosis was believed to reduce the cost to $300, less than half the average total cost.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Ohio State University believe hypnosis is of little use in improving the accuracy of memory, but makes respondents more stubborn in believing their own false memories.

300 students were asked to recall significant dates, such as the start of the gulf war.

Most respondents gave inaccurate answers. Those who underwent hypnosis were no more accurate, but were more reluctant to change their answers, even when it was suggested they might be wrong.

The study suggests hypnosis may promote confidence in false memories generated while under hypnosis.

Monday, 10 September 2001