Why do patients seek treatment in hospitals of complementary medicine?

Objective: This exploratory study evaluated patients' reasons for entering a complementary (alternative) medicine hospital by ranking 15 medical and p sychosocial factors that were thought to influence this choice. Subjects and outcome measures: Two hundred patients (200) from two compleme ntary hospitals, one focusing on Traditional Chinese Medicine and one on th e Western type of complementary medicine, completed an extensive questionna ire at the beginning of their inpatient treatment. The questionnaire covere d personal background; disease parameters; attitude towards conventional me dicine; previous experience with, and knowledge of, complementary therapies ; expectations concerning the forthcoming treatment; health-related habits; personality traits; and social support. Results: Optimistic attitudes towards treatment and a positive appraisal of alternative doctors were frequently stated reasons (80%), as was the disea se severity (long duration: 86%; acute progression or imminent surgery: 70% ). Previous successes with complementary therapies, however, ranked relativ ely low (53%).:Negative opinions concerning conventional therapies and conv entional doctors' treatments were mentioned by 68% of the patients. Many pa tients felt themselves to be under considerable psychologic stress (74%). A majority (73%) was well informed about complementary therapies, and 65% we re curious about the forthcoming therapies. Sixty-eight percent (68%) indic ated good health behaviors. Fewer patients mentioned contemplative and/or r eligious attitudes (44%,) or lack of social support (25%). Age primarily ac counted for variations in the ranking weights of the two subgroups. The spe cific type of complementary medicine was of minor influence. In 14 out of 2 1 personality dimensions, the current patient group showed significant devi ations from the healthy reference, which is in good agreement with findings from conventionally treated patients.