[Satisfaction among patients of a homeopathic clinic]

The use of unconventional medicine has been increasing in recent decades. We surveyed 102 patients treated in the homeopathic clinic of a large medical center (42 men and 62 women aged 1-71 years, mean 22.7), and compared them with 72 patients treated in the outpatient clinics (42 men and 32 women mean 38 years). The majority of respondents were children and young adults suffering mainly from chronic illnesses, in whom conventional treatment had been ineffective. Although standard medical insurance does not cover complementary medical treatment, the great majority of homeopathic patients maintained their insurance and continued follow-up with their conventional physician. Medical conditions diagnosed at the homeopathy clinic were different from the general distribution of medical conditions and causes of death in Israel. The 3 most frequent medical conditions treated were allergy, recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and dermatological problems. We assume that the public prefers to treat life-threatening diseases by conventional means, turning to homeopathic treatment only in the case of conditions that reduce the quality of life. More than 80% of the responders were greatly satisfied by the approach of the therapist and half felt that their principal medical condition was improved. There was no difference between reports of satisfaction by the patients of our homeopathic and conventional outpatient clinics. We believe that homeopathic medicine complements conventional medicine, and is not an alternative. We hope that this study will contribute to defining legislation regarding the status of homeopathic health services.