Positive Health Online

Abstract

DRIVDAHL and colleagues, Department of Family Practice, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash USA conducted a study which examined the characteristics of family practice patients who used alternative medicine, the health problems which preceded this use and their satisfaction.

Background

Methodology

A questionnaire was posted to 250 adults selected at random from a large military family practice clinic. The final response rate was 71%.

Results

Greater than 28% of patients used some form of alternative medicine . The typical user was 30-49 years of age, female, white and well-educated. The most common therapies used were chiropractic (64%), massage (36%), herbal therapy (32%) and acupuncture (16%). The most common problems for which patients sought alternative care included back pain (56%), musculoskeletal pain (22%) and stress and other psychosocial problems (20%). Less than 50% were satisfied with the alternative health care, despite the finding that 82% reported at least some improvement in their condition. 63% did not tell their family doctor about using alternative health care.

Conclusion

A significant number of family practice patients use alternative medicine. Although most derive some benefit, most are not satisfied with the result. The reasons for this disparity between satisfaction and effectiveness of alternative medicine merit further study.

References

Drivdahl CE and Miser WF. The use of alternative health care by a family practice population. J Am Board Fam Pract 11(3): 193-9 May-Jun 1998.

Comment

Given that an overwhelming majority (82%) of respondents experienced improvement in their symptoms, I find it suspicious that less than half the patients were satisfied with their alternative health care and suspect that the question regarding satisfaction may have been too black or white (ie. a yes or no). A further detraction from the results of this study is the absence of reasons of why these people were not satisfied with their alternative treatments ie. was it the practitioner, the standard/competence of the treatment, the cost, etc? This finding does not compute with me.