Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

In response to an Official Information Act request from Kevin McCready in June (https://fyi.org.nz/request/1749-continue...), Mrs Koleti Vae'au wrote that:

"In 2011, ACC's research team conducted a literature review of the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of musculoskeletal pain. It found the most convincing evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture related to the treatment of chronic neck pain and the improvement of pain and mobility in chronic shoulder pain. In terms of other injuries, evidence of the benefits of acupuncture was either inconclusive or insufficient."

I have been unable to find this particular review by searching on the ACC website, although I have found other reports such as the "Effectiveness of acupuncture in selected mental health conditions" brief report from earlier this year.

Could you please provide me with copies of or links to all literature reviews regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for any condition undertaken by ACC. If a review has been superceded by a later review, I'd be happy to just see the latest review.

Also, if ACC has any guidelines for carrying out these reviews, could you please provide me with a copy of or link to these guidelines.

Sincerely,

Mark Hanna

Dear Koleti Vae'au,

Thank you for your message acknowledging my request. I'd like to clarify that, in addition to the 2 items identified in your response, I have also asked for:

"copies of or links to all literature reviews regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for any condition undertaken by ACC"

I am under the impression that the review regarding "The efficacy of acupuncture in the management of musculoskeletal pain" is not the only such review that has been conducted by ACC's research team. If this impression is false, I would be happy to be corrected. Otherwise, could you please also provide me with copies of or links to all other reviews as specified above.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hanna

Dear Koleti Vae'au,

I've become aware that the 2011 review of acupuncture in the management of musculoskeletal pain that I have asked for has been released publicly in response to another OIA request (https://fyi.org.nz/request/1800-inadequa...). As such, I no longer need to be provided with another copy of this review.

However, I am still interested in seeing any other reviews as mentioned in my original request, and in any guidelines ACC has for conducting these reviews.

For the benefit of anyone else viewing this request and looking for the 2011 review of acupuncture in the management of musculoskeletal pain, it can be found online here: https://fyi.org.nz/request/1800/response...

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hanna

Dear Lisa White,

I have discovered by chance that the answer given to me in response to this OIA request was incorrect. I asked for "copies of or links to all literature reviews regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for any condition undertaken by ACC" and was told that "There are only two ACC literature reviews on the efficacy of acupuncture".

However, I have now discovered two more ACC literature reviews, undertaken in 2001 and 2006, that examined the efficacy of acupuncture, among other treatments, in managing soft tissue ankle injuries and traumatic brain injury respectively: http://www.acc.co.nz/PRD_EXT_CSMP/groups...
http://www.acc.co.nz/PRD_EXT_CSMP/groups...

Although one of the reviews I was sent in response to my request included an evaluation of the evidence regarding the use of acupuncture in treating ankle injuries, and could therefore be considered to supercede the 2001 review, this is not the case with the 2006 review on traumatic brain injury.

In light of this, I would like to reiterate my request to be provided with copies of or links to all literature reviews regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for any condition undertaken by ACC. For the sake of clarity, I would like to be explicit that this includes both reviews that looked at several treatment options including acupuncture, and reviews that were commissioned by ACC as well as those directly undertaken by ACC.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hanna

Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

On the 17th of November I sent a followup message regarding my OIA request from earlier this year, regarding literature reviews on the effectiveness of acupuncture, to Lisa White, who was the last person with whom I had contact about this request.

It has now been 2 weeks and I have not received any response, even to acknowledge my message. I would appreciate it if you could please confirm whether or not my message from the 17th of November has been received. The message I sent was as follows:

I have discovered by chance that the answer given to me in response to this OIA request was incorrect. I asked for "copies of or links to all literature reviews regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for any condition undertaken by ACC" and was told that "There are only two ACC literature reviews on the efficacy of acupuncture".

However, I have now discovered two more ACC literature reviews, undertaken in 2001 and 2006, that examined the efficacy of acupuncture, among other treatments, in managing soft tissue ankle injuries and traumatic brain injury respectively:
http://www.acc.co.nz/PRD_EXT_CSMP/groups...
http://www.acc.co.nz/PRD_EXT_CSMP/groups...

Although one of the reviews I was sent in response to my request included an evaluation of the evidence regarding the use of acupuncture in treating ankle injuries, and could therefore be considered to supercede the 2001 review, this is not the case with the 2006 review on traumatic brain injury.

In light of this, I would like to reiterate my request to be provided with copies of or links to all literature reviews regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for any condition undertaken by ACC. For the sake of clarity, I would like to be explicit that this includes both reviews that looked at several treatment options including acupuncture, and reviews that were commissioned by ACC as well as those directly undertaken by ACC.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hanna

Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

It has now been 3 weeks since I sent a followup message regarding this OIA request, and I still have not heard back even to have my message acknowledged. Please respond to this message, even if only with an acknowledgement that you have received it.

As the original response to my OIA request was untrue, and particularly as I feel I am waiting far too long for a response, if I do not hear back from you by Monday the 15th of December (which marks the deadline of 20 working days from my initial followup message on the 17th of November) I will be raising a complaint with the Ombudsman regarding the untrue information initially provided in your response to my OIA request, and your failure to respond to my request as soon as reasonably practicable.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hanna