[Work and life style of homeopathic physicians in Austria. A descriptive study]

This study is based on a survey involving 117 physicians in Austria, working in private practice and under the National Health Plan on a homeopathic basis. The questionnaire covered such topics as socio-demographic data, individual methods of working, office organization, application of alternative therapies, health awareness, and perception of the general acceptance of homeopathy. The results showed that considerably more time is taken for treating patients homeopathically than for patients treated traditionally under the National Health Plan. More than half the physicians use homeopathic remedies exclusively, whereas homeopathic combination remedies were rarely administered. Neural therapy, microbiological therapy (bacterial immunostimulation) and phytotherapy are those alternative therapies most frequently used in addition. A spiritual approach seems to be a significant component of the working methods of these doctors. Their working method is generally traditional: exact medical history and physical examination are ranked high, whereas biochemical data are regarded to be less important for diagnosis.