Predictive characteristics of users of alternative medicine

Background: The use of alternative medicine has become an important factor in health care delivery. Objectives: To evaluate patient characteristics, morbidity, functional stat us, quality of lift, satisfaction with care, practice characteristics and h ealth care utilisation in general practice patients using alternative medic ine. Design: Cross-sectional survey of CP patients completing a self-administere d questionnaire. Setting: A stratified sample of 36 GP offices in Slovenia. Main output data: Patients' age, sex, educational status, residence, presen ce of chronic condition, incidence of anxiety or depressive symptoms, incid ence of patient-expressed need for emergency care in one year, data on self -care, data on functional status, quality of life, satisfaction with care, incidence of use of out-of-hours services and specialist or hospital servic es in users versus non-users. Results: 115/1753 patients (6.6%) reported visits to alternative practition ers in 1997. Users of alternative medicine were from midlife ago groups, we re more likely to have a chronic condition had a lower perception of life q uality and a higher incidence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and had h ad more need for emergency treatment. They are heavier users of primary as well as secondary care services; they have changed their CP recently but ar e not significantly dissatisfied with their current regular GP. Conclusions: Use of alternative medicine ay pears to bt: characteristic of patients with a more active approach to managing their problems. GPs should enquire about the use Of alternative medicine by their patients, especiall y those moro likely to seek such help. Raising the question of alternative medicine will improve doctor-patient communication and help to resolve unde rlying health problems.