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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Joerg Klewer, MD PhD¹, Sabine Twork, MD PhD², and Joachim Kugler, MD PhD². (1) Dept. of Public Health and Nursing Science, University of Applied Science Zwickau, Dr.-Friedrichs-Ring 2a, Zwickau, 08056, Germany, +49-177-4063700, joklewer@aol.com, (2) Department of Health Sciences/Public Health, Dresden Medical School, Fetscherstr. 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic neurological disease of the central nervous system. Although, the chronic condition of MS motivates patients to make use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Little is known if differences in CAM use between patients from democratic and former socialistic system do exist. In collaboration with the German Multiple Sclerosis Association, representative samples of 967 MS patients from former East-Germany and 3045 MS patients from former West-Germany participated by working on mailed anonymous questionnaires. The questions were related to demographic data, impairments, therapeutic course, use of CAM, illness related costs and quality of life (SF-36). In general, approximately 40% of the East German and 51% of the West German patients reported use of CAM. Especially use of acupuncture, vitamins and homoeopathy was significantly more frequently reported by the West-German patients. In contrast, increased physical impairments and reduced quality of life were significantly more frequently reported by the East-German patients. No differences in duration of MS and use of health care providers were found. In Germany, the quality of health care in the Eastern part developed to the level of the Western parts. The results indicate, that modernizing of health care systems will not directly lead to increased use of treatments not available before. Considering these findings in Germany, it is likely that introduction of CAM in the former socialistic countries of East Europe will take a long time, before all patients get aware and make use of them.

Learning Objectives:

• After the presentation the participants should be informed about the differences in use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) between multiple sclerosis (MS) patients from Eastern and Western parts of Germany. They should notice, that increased impairments and reduced quality of life do not directly lead to increased use of CAM, which was uncommon in the socialistic era. The participants should realize, that the introduction of CAM use in former socialistic is a long lasting process. This process will take time, until a new generation of patients now informed about CAM has grown up.
• Therefore it is very important to discuss this problem on the APHA Meeting with other public health experts, to focus more on motivations for the use of CAM especially in countries where CAM was not frequently available some years ago.

Keywords: Chronic Diseases, Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation