5006.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - Board 2

Abstract #8606

Alternative health care and consumer satisfaction

Adam Burke, PhD, MPH, Institute for Holistic Healing Studies, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, 415-440-8553, aburke@pacbell.net

During the 1990’s consumers utilized alternative health care services in record numbers. National surveys showed dramatic increases in the use of alternative health care methods, in visitations to alternative practitioners, and in out-of-pocket expenditures. Some have suggested that this movement to alternative therapies is largely limited to a specific subculture composed of individuals predisposed to alternative philosophies and lifestyles. To examine the possible motivations for using one form of medicine over another this pilot study did a preliminary comparison of consumer satisfaction for conventional versus alternative medicine. Method: The pilot study surveyed 126 students who were enrolled in a holistic health class. They were asked to report their use of fourteen different alternative therapies, and their satisfaction with conventional and alternative health care on nine customer service variables. The customer service questions included items such as waiting time, quality of communications, and cost. The average age of participants was 26. Results: a total of 81% of the participants had tried one or more alternative therapies. In terms of satisfaction, participants consistently reported significantly more satisfaction with alternative medicine on all nine satisfaction measures. Discussion: This study shows the experience of a sample of health care consumers who were significantly more satisfied with alternative therapies. As conventional western medicine moves to embrace alternative therapies, and become more complementary, it is important that they recognize the rationale for patient choice. Specifically, perhaps what makes alternative medicine alternative is not its techniques but the quality of its customer service.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. List several explanations for consumer use of alternative health care. 2. Articulate the distinction between satisfaction versus cultural factors. 3. Evaluate the importance of consumer satisfaction as a motivation for alternative health care utilization

Keywords: Alternative Medicine/Therapies, Patient Satisfaction

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA