Trends in access to complementary or alternative medicines via primary care in England: 1995-2001 results from a follow-up national survey.
A prior national survey of one in eight randomly selected general practices in England estimated that 39% of general practices [95% confidence interval (CI) 35-43%] provided some access to complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in 1995. A repeat survey, conducted in 2001, estimated that one in two practices in England now offer their patients some access to CAMs (95% CI 46-52%). The change was due to increased provision in-house; the proportion of practices making NHS referrals remained unchanged. The proportion of services supported by patient payments rose from 26 to 42%.
D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires