Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 28
This study is part of a nationwide evaluation of CM in Switzerland with the goal of developing the scientific basis to include five CAM disciplines in compulsory health coverage (anthroposophic medicine, homoeopathy, neural therapy, phytotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine). The main objective was to investigate patient outcomes for the treatment of four common indications (asthma, back pain, depression and hypertension) and to compare conventional with complementary primary care.
The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey and included 11 593 patients from 369 practices. Patients and physicians were asked within the same consultation to answer independently a questionnaire aimed at health status, demographics and procedures. A follow-up questionnaire was mailed to patients 1 month later to obtain data on health status (SF-36), patient satisfaction (Europep) and side-effects.
Patient populations in conventional and complementary primary care were different with respect to age, gender, disease duration and severity. Significant differences were observed (i) between complementary and conventional medicine (the extent of differences varied across the four indications) and (ii) between the results related to asthma, back pain and depression on one side and hypertension on the other.
The results suggest complex patterns of interaction between patient populations, health status, therapeutic procedures and patient outcomes across the four conditions in conventional and complementary medicine.
The study was performed as a mandate of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.
