Abstract
Information regarding the type of patient seeking health care treatment at a homoeopathic practice or clinic in South Africa is hard to come by although awareness of complementary medicine has increased substantially over the last two decades. Most homoeopaths in South Africa are currently in private practice. The aim of the study is therefore to create a patient profile as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness and benefits of homoeopathy as a complimentary form of health care in South Africa.
A patient profile was compiled using existing patient data files at the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) health clinic. A random sample of one hundred and thirty seven patient files was drawn from patients that visited the TWR health clinic during 2003. Disease conditions treated, gender, age, occupation, type of homoeopathic treatment and number of consultations was noted. The information was entered into a computer database program and analysed. Data was implicitly stratified according to date and gave a seasonal representation of conditions. The amount of money paid per consultation was noted in order to compare the cost of treatment to the patient on a year to year basis. Chi square tests and cross tabulation methods were used to analyse the data.
A total of one hundred and thirty seven patient files were analysed. The mean age of the study group was thirty seven. More females visited the clinic than males. Working age adults made out the bulk of the patients. Diseases treated were mostly chronic respiratory, neurological, skin and musculoskeletal conditions. The majority of the patients visited the clinic only once. Patients visiting the TWR Homoeopathic health clinic were most often treated with polychrests of the 200th CH potency. The patient profile that was created compared favourably with patient profiles in similar studies in countries in Europe.
Dr. N. Wolf
Dr. S.C. van Es