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CONTENTS Summary 1. Introduction 1.1. The Glastonbury Complementary Medicine Service 1.2. The Research 2. What contribution can complementary medicine make to primary health care? 2.1. Referrals to the service 2.2. The outcome of treatment 2.3. Provision of advice on self-management of health problems 3. Which patients benefited from complementary therapies? 3.1. Type, chronicity and severity of problem 3.2. Demographic differences 3.3. Experience of complementary medicines and attitudes to health 4. Advantages and disadvantages of providing complementary medicine in general practice 4.1. Funding complementary medicines 4.2. The administrative demands of the complementary medicine service 4.3. Meetings between complementary practitioners and other healthcare staff 4.4. Relieving the pressure on other health services 5. Can complementary medicine be cost effective? 5.1. The cost of the complementary medicine service 5.2. Estimating the savings derived 5.3. Cost savings in a patient sub-sample 5.4. Cost savings in secondary referrals 6. Conclusions References Appendix: Characteristics of referrals |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are very grateful to the Somerset Health Authority, who made possible the provision of this service and its research. We would also like to express our thanks to: - The J A Clark Charitable Foundation, whose generous financial assistance has contributed to the cost of medicines and other therapeutic materials; - The Centre for Complementary Health Studies, University of Exeter, for their advice and encouragement; - The Evaluation, Review and Development Unit at the Tavistock Institute, for assistance with evaluation methodologies and analysis of data. and our particular gratitude to: - All the patients who have kindly given their time in the completion and return of questionnaires, or in interviews with the researchers. - Stella Ainsworth: Research assistant - Julie Hills: Researcher at the Tavistock institute - Dr Jim O’Brian: Somerset Health Authority - Nichola Coe: Somerset Health Authority - Dr Mary Helsby: Practice Partner - Dr Willa Muir: Practice Partner - Janet Hole: Practice Manager - Lesley Redman: Practice Secretary - Shan Ford: Massage Therapist - Charlotte Katz: Osteopath - Li Li: Acupuncturist - Ben Redhouse: Acupuncturist - Ned Reiter: Herbalist - Dr Lesley Strutte: Homeopath - Hilary Tucker: Osteopath |