Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 1998; 3: 190–1
To identify patient-determined outcome measures of satisfaction with conventional and complementary treatments, so as to complement other measures of treatment outcome.
A questionnaire, using items systematically extracted from previously recorded patient observations, was completed by 754 patients in waiting rooms of general and complementary practices around Britain. Each respondent was asked to choose up to 10 “things people have said they wanted from their treatment” from a list of 39 phrases.
There were clear differences in the choices of those attending general practice and those attending complementary practitioners: while around half of both groups included “to be cured” in their choice, patients of GP’s then overwhelmingly selected outcomes involving better information and diagnosis while those attending complementary practitioners selected measures of improved health and wellbeing. The survey also revealed a number of other significant differences between the two groups. Patients attending complementary treatment gave a wider selection of presenting complaints, and more clearly defined explanations for attending; this group were also more likely to provide named diagnoses or labels for their condition.
Aspirations of patients attending complementary practitioners appeared to differ from those attending general practice. These aspirations are not to be confused with medical needs or priorities but do provide a basis for predicting healthcare demands in a consumer-driven service.
