Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ): Does it work at population level? -- Evidence from a longitudinal study with medical claims data

Introduction: Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ) originated from Traditional Chinese Qigong, which has been considered as an effective technology to improve health and treat diseases in China. Previous studies including long-term clinical observations have demonstrated a health benefit to patients. Scientific studies conducted at cellular and molecular level have suggested that it could be an effective approach to treating various diseases. Limited studies based on self-reported information indicate that participants' perceived health status improved.

Purpose: To evaluate effects of YXQ on participants' health condition using claims data collected from medical providers.

Method: 253 YXQ participants in Vancouver at Canada obtained their Medical Claims History Record from Ministry of Health in Vancouver. The time frame of the data is from 1995 to 2002. The claims record includes ICD-9 codes, which enables us to identify disease categories related to each visit. We use number of visits for a specific disease as the proxy for condition improvement: more visits in one year indicate worsening of the disease. The independent variables include personal characteristics and information of participating YXQ. A regression model with random effects is used in analysis. The panel data allows us controlling for unobserved time-invariant confounding factors.

Results: Participating in YXQ has significant negative effects on the number of visits, indicating an improvement in health among participants that may be linked to YXQ.

Conclusion: This study is consistent with findings obtained from previous studies.