title: How patients choose osteopaths: a mixed methods study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore how patients choose individual osteopaths to consult; to test whether patients' preferences for osteopaths depend on gender, the osteopath's qualifications, and the cost of treatment; to explore patients' perspectives.
  
  
  METHODS
  An explanatory mixed methods design incorporating a quasi-experimental study administered by postal survey and a qualitative interview study.
  
  
  METHODS
  One sample of patients at a private-sector complementary therapy clinic in the UK completed a survey; a second sample of patients recruited from osteopathy clinics took part in qualitative interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the survey, male and female respondents (n=176) rated the likelihood of consulting each of 8 fictional osteopaths, representing all possible combinations of 3 factors (practitioner gender, biomedically qualified or not, working in a public sector or private clinic). Semi-structured qualitative interviews (n=19) about patients' experiences of osteopathy were analysed deductively and inductively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey respondents preferred osteopaths who were also biomedical doctors, F(1,174)=67.21, p<0.001, η(2)=0.28. Qualitative data showed that, when choosing an osteopath, patients valued personal recommendations from a trusted source and such recommendations overrode other considerations. First impressions were important and were based on patients' perceptions of an osteopath's competence, interpersonal fit, and immediate treatment effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Word of mouth appears to be the primary mechanism by which patients choose individual osteopaths; in the absence of personal recommendations, some patients prefer biomedically qualified practitioners. Trustworthy and appropriate information about practitioners (e.g. from professional regulatory bodies) could empower patients to make confident choices when seeking individual complementary practitioners to consult.
authors: Primary Care and Population Sciences, University of Southampton School of Medicine, Southampton, UK. F.L.Bishop@southampton.ac.uk
authors: Felicity L
authors: FL
authors: Bishop
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Bradbury
authors: Nur Nadiah
authors: NN
authors: Hj Jeludin
authors: Yolanda
authors: Y
authors: Massey
authors: George T
authors: GT
authors: Lewith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010021:Osteopathic Medicine; D055360:Osteopathic Physicians; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires