Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2002; 7: 99
To explore patient preferences for visual and social aspects within the complementary and alternative medicine practice environment, including practitioner and receptionist dress code, mode of address as patient or client and use of first names or surnames.
An attitude questionnaire was developed and piloted by one author (RNT). The survey was then applied by 37 practitioners, mainly osteopaths and acupuncturists, recruited from nine areas of the British Isles. Each practitioner administered questionnaires to the first 10 patients attending on the second working day of the study week in 1999. The questionnaires were given to the patients with a reply-paid envelope to ensure confidentiality.
A total of 229 from 370 (62%) questionnaires were returned. Responders were 67% female, and there was a fairly even distribution of ages between 20 and 79 years. Preliminary analysis showed that responding patients had quite strong preferences: they liked practitioners to wear a white coat (65%) rather than casual dress, to be addressed as patients (66%) rather than clients or customers, and to use first names (63%) rather than surnames. Other aspects of the practice environment, such as the reception area, appeared less important.
The results of this survey may surprise CAM practitioners, particularly the preference of patients for the professional image conveyed by the white coat, which may inspire confidence or reassurance, especially for those seeking unorthodox therapy for the first time. The preference for use of first names and the term patient suggests that most patients see the relationship as a caring rather than a business one.
