Evidence map›Paper›PMID 18801188›Full record

ArticleBMC complementary and alternative medicine2008

Patient satisfaction and side effects in primary care: an observational study comparing homeopathy and conventional medicine.

Florica Marian, Kerstin Joost, Krishan D Saini, Klaus von Ammon, André Thurneysen, André Busato

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. A gentle ethical defence of homeopathy.Journal of bioethical inquiry · 2015
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Homeopathy satisfaction in Iran.Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research · 2014
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Plausibility and evidence: the case of homeopathy.Medicine, health care, and philosophy · 2013
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Patients whose GP knows complementary medicine tend to have lower costs and live longer.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2012
    Article
  12. Use of homeopathy in pediatric oncology in Germany.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2011
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Florica MarianInstitute for Evaluative Research in Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Bern, Stauffacherstrasse 78, Bern, Switzerland. florence.marian@kikom.unibe.ch
Kerstin Joost
Krishan D Saini
Klaus von Ammon
André Thurneysen
André Busato

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study is part of a nationwide evaluation of complementary medicine in Switzerland (Programme Evaluation of Complementary Medicine PEK) and was funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. The main objective of this study is to investigate patient satisfaction and perception of side effects in homeopathy compared with conventional care in a primary care setting.

methodsWe examined data from two cross-sectional studies conducted in 2002-2003. The first study was a physician questionnaire assessing structural characteristics of practices. The second study was conducted on four given days during a 12-month period in 2002/2003 using a physician and patient questionnaire at consultation and a patient questionnaire mailed to the patient one month later (including Europep questionnaire).The participating physicians were all trained and licensed in conventional medicine. An additional qualification was required for medical doctors providing homeopathy (membership in the Swiss association of homeopathic physicians SVHA).

resultsA total of 6778 adult patients received the questionnaire and 3126 responded (46.1%). Statistically significant differences were found with respect to health status (higher percentage of chronic and severe conditions in the homeopathic group), perception of side effects (higher percentage of reported side effects in the conventional group) and patient satisfaction (higher percentage of satisfied patients in the homeopathic group).

conclusionOverall patient satisfaction was significantly higher in homeopathic than in conventional care. Homeopathic treatments were perceived as a low-risk therapy with two to three times fewer side effects than conventional care.

Indexed as

Health StatusAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDrug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsFemaleHealth Care SurveysHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHomeopathyHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient Acceptance of Health CarePatient SatisfactionPhysician-Patient RelationsPractice Patterns, Physicians'Primary Health Care

Identifiers

PMID18801188
PMCPMC2562361

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.