Patterns of use of nonbiomedical medicine services by nonbiomedical medicine providers.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to characterize the patterns of use of nonbiomedical medicine compared to biomedical medicine among providers of nonbiomedical medicine in order to assess the degree of confidence the providers have in nonbiomedical medicine.


METHODS
Anonymous, self-administered questionnaires were distributed among the providers of care in nonbiomedical medicine clinics in Israel.


RESULTS
Ninety-two (92) of 127 questionnaires were completed (73% response rate). Fifty-four percent (54%) were women and 76% were Israeli-born. Nineteen percent (19%) had M.D. degrees and 83% received training in nonbiomedical medicine in Israel. In the course of the 12 months preceding the survey, 62% of the providers were treated by nonbiomedical medicine techniques; of these, 54% chose these techniques as their first treatment of choice. The vast majority (97%) expressed satisfaction with the results of this treatment. Fifty-five percent (55%) stated that they would turn to both nonbiomedical and biomedical medicine in the future for acute medical problems; 28% declared that they would turn first to nonbiomedical medicine, compared to 14%, who said they would turn first to biomedical medicine. A similar result was seen for chronic medical problems. More than two thirds of those who turned to nonbiomedical medicine treatment asked for acupuncture. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of acupuncture providers also preferred this mode of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Providers of nonbiomedical medicine care prefer to combine nonbiomedical and biomedical medicine treatment for their own acute and chronic medical problems. The preferred method of therapy was acupuncture. These patterns of use demonstrate that providers have confidence in these methods of treatment alongside biomedical medicine.
Peleg
Roni
R
Division of Health in the Community, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of the Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. pelegr@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
Gotshal
Hila
H
Soffer
Tammy
T
Freud
Tami
T
Biderman
Aya
A
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires