Accuracy and Comprehensiveness of Provings can Determine the Quality and Long-term Outcomes of Homeopathic Prescriptions

Background: How does the quality and documentation of provings influence the success of homeopathic prescriptions?

Methods: We evaluated long-term outcomes of our patients with different diseases according to evidence-based-practice criteria 1–3. We found that a small group of patients with a well-indicated classical homeopathic prescription did exceptionally well clinically. These outstanding outcomes only marginally depended on the severity of the underlying diagnosis. Throughout follow-up these patients needed no change of remedy. We conducted several new provings, documented them with video and transcripts, then repeated them with different groups of provers to assess the impact of quality standards for homeopathic provings.

Results: Analysis of the case-taking transcripts and patient follow-ups, including the detailed prescription process, revealed that this best responding patient-group had one thing in common: all of their prescriptions were based on outstandingly clear provings and Materia medica. Our analyses revealed that provings can form a decisive basis for best practice, provided that they fulfil the following criteria. Exact and comprehensive compilation of

• Individual symptoms in the category “Mind”

• Individual symptoms in “Generalities”

• Individual symptoms in body regions and organs.

• The congruencies of such symptoms.

• Exact documentation.

High quality provings come from well-trained proving groups, who developed their own standards of precise questioning of the provers and response documentation. Our own new and later replicated provings showed a high congruency of essential issues in main symptoms/themes between different groups of provers, bringing up the same issues in different ways and varying wording. This added new symptoms and helped to clarify the core themes of the proven substance.

Conclusion: According to our findings the so-called “small remedies” might rather be narrowly proven remedies. Proving experience and high-quality proving standards can essentially contribute to patients' outcome. Provings thus need to be developed and become part of homeopathic training.

Keywords: Proving standards, outcome measures, quality assurance, education, training

Publication History

Article published online:
30 January 2024