ORIGINAL PAPERStudy of the practice of homeopathic General Practitioners in France
Introduction
In France, unlike other countries,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 little is known about the practice of homeopathic general practitioners (GPs). We conducted a study of the practice of French homeopathic GPs. This study has two aims:
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to acquire a clearer idea of the type of patients who consult homeopathic GPs,
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to acquire a clearer idea of the type of treatment provided by homeopathic GPs in terms of diagnoses, prescriptions, and costs.
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Method
The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey, of a representative sample of the French homeopathic GP population. We randomly selected 150 GPs from the French telephone directory who had (a) homeopathic training and (b) French medical authority approval for the practice of homeopathy. The GPs were recruited by telephone in December 2000. Only GPs who wished to participate in the study were included.
To take account of seasonal fluctuations, we carried out the survey over three seasons:
Homeopathic GPs and patients
One hundred and forty-nine homeopathic GPs (ie one less than stipulated by the protocol), representative of the French homeopathic GP population, agreed to participate in the study and completed the questionnaire as requested. During the survey period, GPs saw 5449 patients. On average, each GP saw between 12.6 and 13 patients per day. All GPs worked on the 3 days of the study (some half-time) and included patients in the study.
The patients who consulted homeopathic GPs were chiefly women
Diagnoses
Eleven of the 23 commest diagnoses (48%) were ENT disorders (Figure 1). They were: middle-ear infections, acute and chronic rhino-pharyngitis, acute pharyngitis, acute tracheitis, sore throats, chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, influenza and other respiratory disorders, bronchitis, asthma.
Patients
The 11 diagnoses covered 1002 patients (Table 2). The majority of these patients were women (60.6%), children aged between 2 and 7 (29.4%), and adults aged between 20 and 39 (22.0%). The patients mainly
Discussion
Our survey shows that:
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Most patients who consult homeopathic GPs in France are women. This accords with other studies.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
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Most patients who consult homeopathic GPs are aged 20–54. This accords with other studies.2, 5 The majority of patients consulting for ENT disorders are children8 (in whom such disorders are common).
- (3)
Most patients suffering from the commonest 23 diagnoses are either not in employment or clerical workers. This contradicts several studies which conclude that
Conclusion
The patients who consult homeopathic GPs in France are mainly women, between 20 and 54 years of age, living in urban environments, not in employment, covered by National Health Insurance for Salaried Workers and belonging to a Mutual Benefit Association. Homeopathic GPs are most frequently consulted for ENT disorders, stress and anxiety. Homeopathic GPs mainly treat these disorders with homeopathic medicinal products. They prescribe, on average, four medicinal products per patient for an
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