'Getting somewhere', feeling cared for: patients' perspectives on complementary therapies in the NHS

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Patient-Centered Care
• Healthcare Services Research

Background:

• National Health Service (NHS) funding for complementary therapies is increasing.
• Patient satisfaction is a key metric for healthcare service evaluation.
• Understanding patient experiences with complementary therapies is crucial for service development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient satisfaction with complementary therapy services provided within the NHS.
• To explore patient perceptions of complementary therapy effectiveness and practitioner interactions.
• To identify factors influencing patient commitment to complementary therapies in an NHS setting.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 49 patients.
• Critical incident technique used to gather detailed experiences.
• Research conducted across 8 primary care sites in England offering complementary therapies.

Main Results:

• Complementary therapies were perceived to ameliorate and cure various conditions, including chronic ones.
• Patients valued the caring nature of practitioners and the development of therapeutic relationships.
• Positive experiences were often linked to dissatisfaction with or failure of orthodox medicine.
• Few negative aspects of complementary therapy use were reported.

Conclusions:

• Patient satisfaction with complementary therapies is consistent across different settings and types of treatment within the NHS.
• Commitment to NHS-provided complementary therapies stems primarily from positive patient experiences, not necessarily pre-existing beliefs.
• Findings support the integration of complementary therapies into NHS services and suggest areas for future research and policy development.