Overview
The HOMA project undertakes a series of systematic reviews to evaluate the clinical efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of homeopathic preparations (HPs) in the treatment and prevention of various health conditions.
Aims
- To address gaps in the existing evidence base by analyzing both randomized and non-randomized studies through a comprehensive and methodologically rigorous approach.
- Respecting the nature of homeopathy as a whole medical system, by considering not only internal validity and reporting quality, but also model validity, external validity and patient-centered outcomes.
- To develop living systematic reviews that will regularly incorporate new evidence as it becomes available, using this website as a portal.
Vision
- To better understand if and under which conditions HPs may offer clinical benefits
- To inform future research by identifying methodological and evidence-related gaps.
- To inform the societal discussion on how to integrate the research findings in healthcare systems, based on a systems orientated framing.
Methodological Approach
- Systematic reviews conducted according to PRISMA-P and Cochrane guidelines
- Inclusion of both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRSIs)
- Focus on selected health conditions based on expert panel consensus
- Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases and grey literature
- Use of homeopathy-specific tools (e.g. CATHIS, iCAT_SR) to assess model validity and complexity
- Assessing risk of bias with ROB 2 (RCTs) and ROBINS-I (NRSIs)
- Grading the certainty of evidence using the GRADE framework
- Meta-analysis when feasible; narrative synthesis (SWiM) otherwise
- Patient perspectives and real-world complexity considered throughout
The full methodological details are available in the template protocol which has been published on a preprint server.
Ongoing and Planned Subprojects
(Updated regularly based on HOMA project progress)
- Insomnia
Evaluation of homeopathic preparations for insomnia. - Hypertension
Systematic review of clinical studies on blood pressure regulation using homeopathy. - Female Hormone Regulation
Focus on menstrual disorders, menopausal symptoms, and hormone-related conditions. - Acute Diarrhoea
Assessment of homeopathy for symptom management in acute diarrhoeal illness.
Further projects will follow in due course based on available evidence and emerging research priorities.