Table 1 Demographic data for 32 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of individualised homeopathy

Andrade

1991

Rheumatology

Rheumatoid arthritis

Patients with active RA and fulfilling at least three pre-defined criteria

Rheumatic disease outpatient clinic, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil

Mixed

None stated

U

Bell

2004

Rheumatology

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia patients

Private clinic in the USA

Mixed

External (government)

Y

Bonne

2003

Mental disorder

Anxiety

Adults aged 18–65 years, of either sex, suffering from anxiety as defined by standard psychometric criteria

Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

Y

None stated

U

Brien

2011

Rheumatology

Rheumatoid arthritis

Adults formally diagnosed with RA for at least 2 years, who had relatively stable disease but some disease activity on entry

Rheumatology outpatient departments at three hospitals, UK

U

National Institute of Health Research; Samueli Institute, USA; Southampton Complementary Medicine Research Trust; Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation; Dreluso Pharmazeutika GmBH; National Health Service Fund for Science

Y

Cavalcanti

2003

Dermatology

Uraemic pruritus

Dialysis for more than 6 months, moderate to severe pruritus, absence of other causes for pruritus

Haemodialysis centres, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

Mixed

None stated

U

Chapman

1999

Neurology

Brain injury

Patients with mild traumatic brain injury

University medical school in the USA

Y

External (government; foundation; hom pharm providing all meds)

N

de Lange de Klerk

1994

Respiratory infection

URTI

Children aged 1.5–10 years, with at least three upper respiratory tract infections in the past year or with two such episodes plus otitis media with effusion at the time of entry examination

Paediatric outpatient department of university hospital, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Mixed

Dutch Ministry of Welfare, Cultural Affairs, and Public Health

Y

Fisher

2006

Dermatology

Eczema

Adults aged 18–65 years, of either sex, with planned treatment for dermatitis at the RLHH

Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital (RLHH), London, UK

Mixed

None stated

U

Frass

2005

Surgery and anaesthesiology

Sepsis

Patients with severe sepsis

Intensive Care Unit at a university hospital in Austria

Y

None stated

U

Gaucher

1994

Tropical disease

Cholera

Patients with cholera, in a state of dehydration requiring parenteral treatment

University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru

U

None stated; several acknowledged, including employee of hom pharm company

U

Jacobs

1993

Gastroenterology

Childhood diarrhoea

Children aged 0.5–5 years, with history of acute diarrhoea

Participants’ homes, Leon, Nicaragua

Y

Boiron Research Foundation, Norwood, Pennsylvania, USA,

U

Jacobs

1994

Gastroenterology

Childhood diarrhoea

Children with a history of acute diarrhoea

Nicaragua

Y

External, including hom pharm that might have provided the remedies for the trial

U

Jacobs

2001

Ear, nose and throat

Otitis media (acute)

Patients with acute otitis media

Children’s clinic in the USA

Y

External (hom pharm—all remedies—research grant)

N

Jacobs

2000

Gastroenterology

Childhood diarrhoea

Children with a history of acute diarrhoea

Nepal

Y

External (hom research foundation)

U

Jacobs

2005b

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Menopause post breast cancer

Women with history of carcinoma or stage I–III breast cancer who had completed all surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment and who averaged at least three hot flushes per day for previous month

Private medical clinic, Seattle, USA

U

External (charity); meds donated by hom pharm

N

Jacobs

2005a

Mental disorder

ADHD

Children, aged 6–12 years, meeting DSM-IV criteria for ADHD

Private homeopathic clinic in Seattle, USA

U

External (government); meds donated by hom pharm

N

Jansen

1992

Gastroenterology

Proctocolitis

Active proctocolitis (proven by endoscopy and histology)

Outpatient dept, Maria Hospital, Tilburg, Netherlands

Y

None stated

U

Kainz

1996

Dermatology

Warts

Children aged 6–12 years, with common warts on the back of hands

Department of Dermatology, University of Graz, Austria

Mixed

Firma Spagyra, Groding, Austria: ‘kindly provided’ homeopathic medicines and placebos. Otherwise, none stated

N

Katz

2005

Mental disorder

Depression

Adults, aged 18–80 years, of either sex, suffering from major depressive episode of moderate severity as defined by DSM-IV

Lower Clapton group practice, east London, UK

U

Homeopathic Research Committee; Blackie Foundation Trust. Verum and placebo homeopathic medicines donated by Laboratoires Boiron

N

Naudé

2010

Mental disorder

Insomnia

Insomnia sufferers (identified through local advertising)

South Africa

Mixed

None stated

U

Rastogi ( a)

1999

Immune disorder

HIV

Adults aged 18–50 years, of either sex, with positive antibody reaction to HIV-1 or HIV-2 or both confirmed by repeat ELISA and/or Western blot

Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Mumbai, India

Mixed

None stated

U

Rastogi ( b)

1999

Immune disorder

HIV

Adults aged 18–50 years, of either sex, with positive antibody reaction to HIV-1 or HIV-2 or both confirmed by repeat ELISA and/or Western blot

Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Mumbai, India

Mixed

None stated

U

Sajedi

2008

Neurology

Cerebral palsy

Children aged 1–5 years, with mild to moderate spasm due to cerebral palsy

Saba Clinic (Developmental Disorder Center), Tehran, Iran

U

Internal

U

Siebenwirth

2009

Dermatology

Eczema

Adults aged 18–35 years with at least a 1-year history of atopic dermatitis (>20% of skin surface)

Klinik und poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie am Biederstein, Munich, Germany

Mixed

The study medications gifted by Deutsche Homöopathie-Union (DHU). Funded by Karl und Veronica Carstens-Stiftung

N

Steinsbekk

2005

Respiratory infection

URTI

Children, under 10 years old, who had been to a medical doctor for URTI

In children’s own homes, recruited mainly from those previously diagnosed with URTI when attending a hospital casualty department

Y

External: Norwegian Research Council. Homeoden Belgium made the medicines

U

Straumsheim

2000

Neurology

Migraine

Adults aged 18–65 years, of either sex, diagnosed according to International Headache Society classification criteria

Arena Medisinske Senter, Oslo, Norway

Mixed

DCG Farmaceutia (Gotenborg): supplied all homeopathic medicines. Norwegian Research Council

N

Thompson

2005

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Menopause post breast cancer

Women who attended oncology centre for breast cancer, did not have metastatic disease, were not on any other treatment and experiencing more than three hot flushes per day

Outpatient department of an NHS homeopathic hospital, UK

Y

External (charity; hom pharm—‘provided’ all remedies, presumably via hospital pharmacy dept)

U

Walach

1997

Neurology

Headache

Patients diagnosed according to the International Headache Society classification criteria

Germany

Mixed

Homeoden (Gent) and Gudjons (Augsburg): supplied homeopathic medicines

U

Weatherley-Jones

2004

Mental disorder

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Adults with chronic fatigue

Two outpatient departments in UK

U

External (charity)

Y

White

2003

Allergy and asthma

Childhood asthma

Children, aged 5–15 years, with diagnosis of asthma and prescription for beta agonist and/or corticosteroid inhaler issued within previous 3 months

Five general practices in market towns in Somerset, UK

U

External, including hom pharm that provided all remedies

N

Whitmarsh

1997

Neurology

Migraine

Adults aged 18–60 years, of either sex, with definite diagnosis of migraine by pre-defined criteria

Princess Margaret Migraine Clinic, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK

Y

Nelsons Ltd; Homeopathic Medical Research Council; Blackie Foundation Trust

U

Yakir

2001

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Premenstrual syndrome

Women aged 20–50 years, with diagnosis of PMS according to pre-defined criteria; symptomatology corresponding to one of five homeopathic medicines

Gynaecology outpatient clinic, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

Y

Dolisos Laboratories; Deutsche Homeopathie Union; named individuals

N