The impact of the transcendental meditation program on government payments to physicians in Quebec.
R E Herron, S L Hillis, J V Mandarino, David W. Orme-Johnson, Kenneth G Walton
American Journal of Health Promotion 1996 DOI: 10.4278/0890-1171-10.3.208 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Retrospective pre-post intervention design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 677 |
| Population | Volunteer group of Quebec provincial health insurance enrollees who practiced the TM technique, average age 38 years, range 18-71, 348 men and 329 women |
| Dose | 15 to 20 minutes twice daily |
| Duration | 3 years before and up to 7 years after starting the technique |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | After starting the TM technique, adjusted government payments to physicians declined significantly, with estimates ranging from 5% to 7% annually, whereas no significant change occurred in the three years before. The authors suggest TM reduces payments but caution that the lack of a control group prevents causal conclusions. |
Abstract
This study evaluated whether governmental medical payments in Quebec were affected by the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique. This retrospective study used a pre- and postintervention design in which government payments for physicians' services were reviewed for 3 years before and up to 7 years after subjects started the technique. Payment data were adjusted for aging and year-specific variation (including inflation) using normative data. No separate control group was used; thus it is impossible to determine whether the changes were caused by the TM program or some other factor. A volunteer group of 677 provincial health insurance enrollees was evaluated. The subjects had chosen to practice the TM technique before they were selected to enter the study. The subjects (348 men, 329 women) had diverse occupations. Their average age was 38 years and ranged from 18 to 71 years at the start of the TM program. The TM technique of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is a standardized procedure practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice daily while sitting comfortably with eyes closed. Province of Quebec, Canada. During the 3 years before starting the TM program, the adjusted payments to physicians for treating the subjects did not change significantly. After beginning TM practice, subjects' adjusted expenses declined significantly. The several methods used to assess the rate of decline showed estimates ranging from 5% to 7% annually. The results suggests that the TM technique reduces government payments to physicians. However, because of the sampling method used, the generalizability of these results to wider populations could not be evaluated.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- An Innovative Approach to Cultivate Responsible Next Generation Leaders Advances in Logistics, Operations, and Management Science 2016
- Psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease. Part 3: Clinical and policy implications of research on the transcendental meditation program. Behavioral Medicine 2005
- Review of controlled research on the transcendental meditation program and cardiovascular disease. Risk factors, morbidity, and mortality. Cardiology in review 2004
- Behavioral treatment of hypertensive heart disease in African Americans: rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial. Behavioral Medicine 2001
- The impact of the transcendental meditation program on government payments to physicians in Quebec: an update. American Journal of Health Promotion 2000
and 1 more in the library
Cites 9
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- Treating and Preventing Alcohol, Nicotine, and Drug Abuse Through Transcendental Meditation: Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly October 26, 1994
- Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation Program in Preventing and Treating Substance Misuse: A Review International Journal of the Addictions 1991
- A randomised controlled trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans. Hypertension November 1, 1995
- The physiology of meditation: a review. A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 1992
and 4 more in the library