Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
##common.pageHeaderLogo.altText##

Original article

Vol. 142 No. 3334 (2012)

Usage of complementary medicine across Switzerland

  • Sabine D Klein
  • Martin Frei-Erb
  • Ursula Wolf
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2012.13666
Cite this as:
Swiss Med Wkly. 2012;142:w13666
Published
12.08.2012

Summary

QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY: This study investigated the use among the Swiss adult population and regional dissemination of various methods of complementary medicine (CM) provided by physicians or therapists in Switzerland.

METHODS: Data of the Swiss Health Survey 2007 were used, which comprised a telephone interview followed by a written questionnaire (18,760 and 14,432 respondents, respectively) and included questions about people's state of health, health insurance and usage of health services. Users and non-users of CM were compared using logistic regression models.

RESULTS: The most popular CM methods were homeopathy, osteopathy, acupuncture and shiatsu/foot reflexology. 30.5% of women and 15.2% of men used at least one CM method in the 12 months preceding the survey. Lake Geneva region and central Switzerland had more CM users than the other regions. Women, people between 25 and 64 years of age and people with higher levels of education were more likely to use CM. 53.5% of the adult population had a supplemental health insurance for CM treatments. 32.9% of people with such an insurance used CM during the 12 months preceding the survey, and so did 12.0% of people without additional insurance.

CONCLUSIONS: Almost one fourth of the Swiss adult population had used CM within the past 12 months. User profiles were comparable to those in other countries. Despite a generally lower self-perceived health status, elderly people were less likely to use CM.

References

  1. Zollman C, Vickers A. What is complementary medicine? BMJ. 1999;319(7211):693–6.
  2. Büssing A, Ostermann T, Heusser P, Matthiessen PF. Usage of complementary and alternative medicine interventions by german older adults. J Altern Complement Med. 2011;17(6):487–9.
  3. Sirois FM. Motivations for consulting complementary and alternative medicine practitioners: a comparison of consumers from 1997–8 and 2005. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2008;8:16. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-8-16.
  4. Diehl DL, Kaplan G, Coulter I, Glik D, Hurwitz EL. Use of acupuncture by American physicians. J Altern Complement Med. 1997;3(2):119–26.
  5. Frass M, Strassl RP, Friehs H, Müllner M, Kundi M, Kaye AD. Use and acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine among the general population and medical personnel: a systematic review. Ochsner J. 2012;12(1):45–56.
  6. Thomas KJ, Nicholl JP, Coleman P. Use and expenditure on complementary medicine in England: a population based survey. Complement Ther Med. 2001;9(1):2–11.
  7. Shmueli A, Igudin I, Shuval J. Change and stability: use of complementary and alternative medicine in Israel: 1993, 2000 and 2007. Eur J Public Health. 2010;21(2):254–9.
  8. Härtel U, Volger E. Inanspruchnahme und Akzeptanz klassischer Naturheilverfahren und alternativer Heilmethoden in Deutschland – Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsstudie. Forsch Komplementmed. 2004;11(6):327–34.
  9. Wolf U, Maxion-Bergemann S, Bornhöft G, Matthiesen PF, Wolf M. Use of complementary medicine in Switzerland. Forsch Komplementmed. 2006;13(Suppl 2):4–6.
  10. Déglon-Fischer A, Barth J, Ausfeld-Hafter B. Komplementärmedizin in Schweizer Praxen der Grundversorgung. Forsch Komplementmed. 2009;16(4):251–5.
  11. Stafford N. Switzerland is to fund complementary therapies for six years while effectiveness is evaluated. BMJ. 2011;342:d819.
  12. Studer HP, Busato A. Development of costs for complementary medicine after provisional inclusion into the Swiss basic health insurance. Forsch Komplementmed. 2011;18(1):15–23.
  13. Kooreman P, Baars EW. Patients whose GP knows complementary medicine tend to have lower costs and live longer. Eur J Health Econ. 2011. doi: 10.1007/s10198-011-0330-2.
  14. Hamre HJ, Witt CM, Glockmann A, Ziegler R, Willich SN, Kiene H. Health costs in anthroposophic therapy users: a two-year prospective cohort study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2006;6:65.
  15. Witt C, Keil T, Selim D, Roll S, Vance W, Wegscheider K, Willich SN. Outcome and costs of homoeopathic and conventional treatment strategies: a comparative cohort study in patients with chronic disorders. Complement Ther Med. 2005;13(2):79–86.
  16. Wang J, Schmid M. Regional differences in health literacy in Switzerland. Zürich: University of Zurich, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine; 2007.
  17. Marques-Vidal P, Paccaud F. Regional differences in self-reported screening, prevalence and management of cardiovascular risk factors in Switzerland. BMC Public Health. 2012,12:246.
  18. Bundesamt für Statistik, Schweizerische Gesundheitsbefragung [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2012 May 3]. Available from: http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/erhebungen__quellen/blank/blank/ess/04.html.
  19. Crivelli L, Ferrari D, Limoni C. Inanspruchnahme von 5 Therapien der Komplementärmedizin in der Schweiz. Statistische Auswertung auf der Basis der Daten der Schweizerischen Gesundheitsbefragung 1997 und 2002. Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana; 2004.
  20. Bücker B, Groenewold M, Schoefer Y, Schäfer T. The use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) in 1001 German adults: results of a population-based telephone survey. Gesundheitswesen. 2008;70:e29–36.
  21. George S, Jackson JL, Passamonti M. Complementary and alternative medicine in a military primary care clinic: a 5-year cohort study. Mil Med. 2011;176(6):685–8.
  22. Busato A, Dönges A, Herren S, Widmer M, Marian F. Health status and health care utilisation of patients in complementary and conventional primary care in Switzerland – an observational study. Fam Pract. 2006;23(1):116–24.
  23. Sirois FM, Purc-Stephenson RJ. Personality and consultations with complementary and alternative medicine practitioners: a five-factor model investigation of the degree of use and motives. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(9):1151–8.
  24. Fulder SJ, Munro RE. Complementary medicine in the United Kingdom: patients, practitioners, and consultations. Lancet. 1985;2(8454):542–5.
  25. Van Wassenhoven M, Ives G. An observational study of patients receiving homeopathic treatment. Homeopathy. 2004;93(1):3–11.
  26. Jeschke E, Ostermann T, Tabali M, Bockelbrink A, Witt CM, Willich SN, Matthes H. Diagnostic profiles and prescribing patterns in everyday anthroposophic medical practice – a prospective multi-centre study. Forsch Komplementmed. 2009;16(5):325–33.

Most read articles by the same author(s)