title: [Potential Use of Healthcare Professions by Privately Insured Considering Complementary Medical Benefits].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient preferences are becoming more and more important in healthcare and research. The aim of this study was to gain information about potential consultation of health professionals among a population of clients of a private insurer, considering complementary health care services of the insurer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on 7 hypothetical afflictions (pain in chest, allergy, digestive complaints, depressive mood, knee swelling, reducing addictive substance, child with febrile infect) the surveyed were asked to indicate who they would turn to in the first and second place. The options were: a general practitioner, a conventionally-oriented specialist, a complementary-oriented specialist, an alternative practitioner, a pharmacist, and others.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,960 insurants (74.1% male; 62.4 ± 10.2 years) completed the questionnaire. In all potential afflictions the surveyed would prefer to consult a general practitioner in the first place, followed by a specialist. Only in case of allergy (12.5%) and depression (11.8%) or reduction of addictive substances (18.6%) they would also consider a complementary-oriented specialist as first choice. In case of depressive mood, allergy, digestive complaints, and angina pectoris the compliance was high, with Kappa >0.5. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis regarding gender and education showed a markedly higher compliance when the population was homogenized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Irrespective of the affliction, for the majority of the surveyed the general practitioner and specialist seem to be the first choice when it comes to health problems. Complementary-oriented specialists seem to be relevant only in specific disorders.
authors: Lehrstuhl fx00FC;r Forschungsmethodik und Statistik in der Psychologie, Universitx00E4;t Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Deutschland.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Ostermann
authors: Horst Christian
authors: HC
authors: Vollmar
authors: Christa
authors: C
authors: Raak
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Jacobi
authors: Arndt
authors: A
authors: Büssing
authors: Peter F
authors: PF
authors: Matthiessen
mesh_terms: D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires