Is Susceptibility to Homeopathic Potency a Measurable Construct? Development of an Assessment Tool by Mixed-Methods...

Area of Science:

• Homeopathy Research
• Quantitative Measurement in Complementary Medicine

Background:

• Susceptibility is a core homeopathic concept, influencing disease and treatment response.
• Currently, susceptibility is a qualitative measure lacking standardization.
• This study addresses the need for a quantifiable measure of homeopathic susceptibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptualize and develop a content-validated instrument for measuring susceptibility to homeopathic medicines.
• To establish objective criteria for assessing patient susceptibility to different homeopathic potencies.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (qualitative followed by quantitative) was used.
• Content validation involved literature review, expert free-listing, Delphi method, and statistical analysis (ACP, CVR, CVI, kappa).
• Pilot testing and exploratory receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were conducted to establish score thresholds.

Main Results:

• A 19-item instrument was developed, validated, and pilot-tested, covering intellectual, emotional, pathological, environmental, and behavioral domains.
• Content validity indices met acceptable standards, with high sensitivity and specificity demonstrated in ROC analysis.
• Preliminary thresholds were identified for classifying susceptibility as low, moderate, or high.

Conclusions:

• This research presents the first standardized, content-validated instrument for quantifying homeopathic susceptibility.
• The developed tool and identified thresholds support more consistent and objective homeopathic potency selection.
• Further psychometric evaluation, including reliability and construct validity, is planned.